New Toyota Land Cruiser: mild hybrid and for the Netherlands

Highlight Toyota Land Cruiser

• After 14 years successor for Land Cruiser Prado
• Angular and strong retro design
• First Edition with classic round headlights
• More modern technology, including mild hybrid
• In the first half of 2024 in the Netherlands

The Toyota Land Cruiser family is one that may cause some confusion. “The current Land Cruiser has only been around for a few years, hasn’t it?” – we hear you think. Beats like a bus. The Land Cruiser that was renewed down to the smallest nut in 2021 is the full size Land Cruiser (J300) which is available in the Netherlands and in large parts of the world. The new Toyota Land Cruiser that plays the leading role in this article is the successor to the model that is simply called Land Cruiser in the Netherlands, but that goes through life elsewhere in the world as Land Cruiser Prado (J150). In the markets where the largest Toyota Land Cruiser (the J300) is not available, the Prado successor will again go through life as a Land Cruiser.

So we are talking about the successor to this Land Cruiser (Prado).

This new Toyota Land Cruiser is of course not small. In fact, with its length of 4.92, it is only a few centimeters shorter than its bigger brother. Like the larger Land Cruiser (J300), this new Prado successor is mounted on a GA-F family ladder chassis. This brand new Land Cruiser, which is also coming to the Netherlands, has even more in common technically with this recently presented brand new Lexus GX. The relationship with that car is evident when you look at the windows, the kink in the shoulder line and the window styles. It is also striking that the new GX – actually Lexus’ version of this Land Cruiser – came earlier. Earlier generations of that Lexus GX appeared after the Toyota original, but this time the Lexus GX was earlier.

The new Land Cruiser is the brother of this Lexus GX.

Okay, back to the Land Cruiser. It is 1.98 meters wide, 1.87 meters high and has a wheelbase of 2.85 meters. The ladder frame is 50 percent stiffer than that of the outgoing Land Cruiser Prado, the bolt-on body is stiffer and the frame itself is 30 centimeters higher. These are all things that, according to Toyota, make the off-roader more comfortable and give better driving characteristics, both on and off the asphalt.

In addition, the Toyota Land Cruiser gets electrically controlled power steering for the first time, which according to the Japanese produces less recoil on rougher terrain. In addition, the new platform opens the gates for the arrival of new passive and active safety systems, including Lane Tracing Assist. Also new is a system that Toyota Stabilizer Disconnection Mechanism (DSM). This consists of a detachable anti-roll bar at the front that should make a contribution, especially in off-road conditions. Thanks to the Multi-Terrain Monitor you can also see what is going on under the car.

design: heritage

Nice that new technology, but the Toyota Land Cruiser itself is of course a great visual attraction. The Land Cruiser – just like the Lexus GX – has a strikingly angular and therefore chunky appearance. Unlike the GX, the Land Cruiser is overloaded with retro elements. Luckily for Toyota, the Land Cruiser bloodline goes back far enough for a sizable pool of ideas to fish out.

For example, in both the front and the back we observe influences from the Land Cruiser J80 series in particular and to a lesser extent from the J60. That design cocktail of old and new, in any case, has a completely unique look. The style of the model also reminds us somewhat of the FJ Cruiser. That is not very strange, after all, that car was also quite peppered with classic Land Cruiser elements. In the unlikely event that you have damage, various body parts can easily be replaced for new ones, according to Toyota. Smart.

This Land Cruiser also served as inspiration.

Interior

Just like on the outside, straight, clean lines also dominate the interior of this new Land Cruiser. The only round elements are the air vents on both sides of the dashboard, the steering wheel, the selector for the different driving modes and small rotary knobs in the central air vents. The robust design is combined with a digital instrument panel behind the steering wheel and a large infotainment system high in the center console. You can turn to physical buttons for the climate control, among other things.

The new Toyota Land Cruiser will be available as a five- and seven-seater. We doubt whether there will also be a three-door version, just like the Prado.

Toyota Land Cruiser

Mild hybrid

The Toyota Land Cruiser will be available in Europe with a 2.8 liter diesel engine. That machine is 204 horsepower and appears to be the machine introduced in its predecessor in 2020 and also available in the Hilux. In those two models it is good for 500 Nm. The 2.8 is always tied to an otherwise new eight-speed automatic transmission and the SUV can pull up to 3,500 kilograms with that hardware. The new Land Cruiser will also come to Europe with a mild hybrid powertrain later. It consists of the same 2.8, although the whole is equipped with 48v mild hybrid technology.

Recently we wrote about the Toyota Hilux that came with a mild hybrid 2.8. We assume that it is hardware which will also be in the mild-hybrid Land Cruiser.

First Edition

Nowadays no new model is launched without a special introductory version and so the new Toyota Land Cruiser also gets one. It is called First Edition and Toyota opens the order books of that variant in October. 3,000 of them will come to Europe. You can recognize them by special round headlights – the regular versions get flatter and rectangular ones – and by the two-tone color scheme Sand and Smokey Blue.

The Land Cruiser is available as a First Edition with round headlights, but normally has these angular ones.

Prices and specifications for the Dutch market will follow later. The first copies will arrive in Europe in the first half of next year.