- The Land Cruiser was discontinued in the United States after the 2021 model year, however Toyota teases its return across its social media platforms.
- This announcement comes on the heels of the Lexus GX reveal, another body-on-frame SUV.
- If the new Land Cruiser uses Toyota’s TNGA-F body-on-frame platform, the potential powertrain options could include the 3.4-liter turbocharged V6 and the i-Force Max hybrid system.
Following the Lexus GX’s reveal, the team at Toyota isn’t going to let the momentum slow down. The Toyota Land Cruiser is apparently making a return to the United States after a short hiatus. Toyota launched a video on its social media platforms to hint at the beloved off-roader’s return.
Details are obviously still light about the Land Cruiser’s return, but the recently revealed GX can probably paint a good picture of what to expect. Toyota is quickly moving its body-on-frame products to its new TNGA-F body-on-frame platform, which underpins the new Lexus GX, the Toyota Tundra, and Toyota Tacoma. Oh yeah, and it supports the Lexus LX 600, which has historically been the Lexus variant of Toyota’s Land Cruiser, and the current J300-generation Toyota Land Cruiser.
With that in mind, we can expect to see a lot of the same underpinnings heading to the Land Cruiser that we’ve seen in Toyota’s lineup. That means the 3.4-liter turbocharged V6 and the i-Force Max hybrid system could be the potential powertrain options. It’s hard to say how hardcore the next-gen Land Cruiser will be, but a locking rear differential as seen in the GX is likely going to be the bare minimum. Though, a locking front or center differential could make the Land Cruiser the serious off-roader you’d expect from the legendary nameplate.
More information about the upcoming Land Cruiser is slated to come this year. It’s not clear when Toyota plans to launch the next Land Cruiser, but considering the company’s recent efforts with the new Tundra and Tacoma, we are expecting a quicker launch cycle than the Supra.
Do you think the Land Cruiser’s return was inevitable? Tell us your thoughts below.
Wesley Wren has spent his entire life around cars, whether it’s dressing up as his father’s 1954 Ford for Halloween as a child, repairing cars in college or collecting frustrating pieces of history—and most things in between. Wesley is the current steward of a 1954 Ford Crestline Victoria, a 1975 Harley-Davidson FXE and a 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Galaxie. Oh yeah, and a 2005 Kia Sedona.