The U.S. will soon see a Toyota Land Cruiser on sale once again. It’s set to be a somewhat unique offering for the American market, and Toyota has provided a sneak peek at the upcoming off-roader.
Internationally, the main-game Land Cruiser is the comfort-oriented 300 Series model, as reviewed by The Drive last year. Toyota also still sells the decades-old 70 Series model in some markets, with a focus on rugged simplicity. The U.S. is set to get an altogether different model, however, most likely based on the Land Cruiser Prado. It’s a smaller, lighter SUV that nonetheless still boasts solid off-road capability.
The Prado is a sibling to the Lexus GX, which we have already seen boasting a sharp, boxy design for its all-new 2024 model. It’s likely the US-market Land Cruiser will feature a similarly squared-off design, given the teaser shots provided by Toyota.
Notably, the Lexus GX shape overlays very neatly over the shadowy Land Cruiser profile, suggesting the two may be very similar indeed. Details to note are the kick-up in the beltline at the rear, the notch at the bottom of the taillights, and the shape of the area under the front bumper.
Regardless of any similarities, expect the future U.S. Land Cruiser to bear styling hallmarks of its own. Previous reports have suggested Toyota will lean on throwback styling tropes from the 40 Series and 70 Series models. Indeed, the teaser shots feature the new model posed opposite a 40 Series model, indicating Toyota is putting heritage front of mind. That could mean the U.S. model will get a nice simple front grille and some sweet round headlights if history is anything to go by.
Details on the U.S.-market model remain scant. Rumors are that the SUV will feature two distinct trim levels, with one equivalent to the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro in some respects. Available powertrains are believed to mimic the pickup, with a 2.4-liter hybrid turbocharged four on the table. However, nothing is certain until Toyota makes it official.
Timing is still uncertain on the model’s return, but rest assured that it’s on the way. If you’ve been hanging out for a new Land Cruiser since the end of 200 Series sales in 2021, you hopefully won’t be stuck waiting for too much longer.
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