- The Toyota Land Cruiser SUV is poised to make its return to the U.S. market.
- We count on the brand new model to be just like the not too long ago revealed 2024 Lexus GX.
- Search for the brand new Land Cruiser to be revealed someday in 2024.
Bronco, Integra, Supra—reviving a well-liked but long-dead nameplate is nothing new within the automotive business. However Toyota is not giving the Land Cruiser title a lot time to languish. The legendary SUV was solely simply discontinued within the U.S. following the 2021 model 12 months, and now the automaker has already confirmed that the Land Cruiser will as soon as once more grace our amber waves of grain. Nevertheless, it is turning into obvious that the upcoming model set to reach quickly will not share a complete lot with the final model that was offered on our shores.
Up to now, the one official information is that Toyota will convey the Land Cruiser title again to the U.S. market. It is unlikely, although, that we’ll obtain the 300-series LC that different markets get. As a substitute, the function of “large luxurious off-roader” will in all probability stick with the Lexus LX, which shares its body-on-frame TNGA-F platform with the 300-series Land Cruiser, in addition to the most recent variations of the Tundra and Sequoia. As a result of the Sequoia already exists as a cumbersome three-row Toyota SUV with out there off-road-friendly bits, including the equally sized Land Cruiser to the combo would not make a ton of sense.
As a substitute, we have now our eyes fixated on the 2024 Lexus GX to kind the premise for the revived Land Cruiser. That might make the U.S.-spec Land Cruiser a bit of smaller than earlier than, which would definitely assist its capability to navigate difficult terrain. In earlier generations, the Lexus GX was the fancier sibling of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, a smaller LC variant that by no means made it Stateside—at the least not as a Toyota. In line with an Automotive Information report, Toyota could merely ditch the Prado a part of the badge and convey the ensuing automobile right here as merely the Land Cruiser.
Our illustration (prime) leans into the Prado report, borrowing a hefty quantity of styling from the brand new GX whereas adopting a front-end fashion just like that of the Compact Cruiser EV idea, which was unveiled in 2021 and bears greater than a passing similarity to the 300-series Land Cruiser. (We’re additionally in love with the concept of a brand new FJ-style compact off-roader, however one factor at a time right here.)
Toyota-fying the GX will doubtless contain a little bit of decontenting, because the Land Cruiser’s decrease trim ranges would logically have much less gear than the Lexus. This might additionally imply a decrease base worth, one would hope. However the off-road extras discovered within the GX’s Overtrail trim, equivalent to its chunky tires and locking differentials, would absolutely be a part of a Land Cruiser TRD Professional trim degree.
If the brand new Land Cruiser Prado does cross over to our shores, it is also more likely to share powertrains with the GX. That might imply a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V-6, maybe making the identical 349 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque because the Lexus, with a hybrid model to observe later. The brand new Tacoma’s turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four will in all probability be reserved for a forthcoming 4Runner alternative.
Talking of 4Runner, the repositioning of the Land Cruiser may have fascinating implications for that mid-size model. If the forthcoming Land Cruiser shrinks its footprint to develop into analogous to the GX, we may see the 4Runner morph into one thing higher focused on the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler. The GX—and presumably the brand new Land Cruiser—will likely be provided with a 3rd row of seats, and we would not be stunned to see the next-generation 4Runner get a bit smaller too and drop its non-obligatory third row.
There’s nonetheless loads of time for hypothesis. In line with AN‘s report, the Land Cruiser Prado’s makeover will not debut till 2024, and it is unlikely Toyota would leap the gun and reveal a U.S.-specific variant of it first. However, there are some massive modifications for the Land Cruiser simply over the horizon, and so they may very properly have ramifications for different autos in Toyota’s lineup, too.
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Senior Editor
Automobiles are Andrew Krok’s jam, together with boysenberry. After graduating with a level in English from the College of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew lower his tooth writing freelance journal options, and now he has a decade of full-time assessment expertise beneath his belt. A Chicagoan by delivery, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Possibly in the future he’ll do one thing about that half-finished engineering diploma.