U.S. Toyota Land Cruiser Revival Will Feature FJ40-Like Retro Styling Cues
Returning as a unique version of the Prado, the new U.S. Toyota Land Cruiser will take a more retro approach in terms of styling.
When the Toyota Land Cruiser bowed out of the U.S. market following the debut of the all-new, next-generation model, many were quite surprised. After all, the Land Cruiser had become a bit of a niche, albeit slow-selling model for Toyota in America, one with a hefty price tag and a cult following. However, rumors soon suggested that the Toyota Land Cruiser would be coming back to the U.S. as a totally different vehicle than the one sold elsewhere, perhaps based on the Prado available in various global markets. Now, Drive is reporting that the the U.S. Toyota Land Cruiser revival will take a more retro approach where it returns to the U.S. next year, too.
Much like the all-new Lexus GX has transformed into a more upright, boxy SUV, the new American Land Cruiser will follow suit, albeit while incorporating staying cues from taken from the 40 and 70 Series models from the past. Those cues will apparently include circular headlights just like the FJ40, though from there, it’s unclear what else we can expect. It’s also uncertain how much sheetmetal the Land Cruiser will share with the Prado – it could simply utilize a different front and rear end, as is often the case.
Regardless, the U.S.-based Land Cruiser will also be marketed as a completely different vehicle than its predecessor as well. Rather than the higher-end, more luxurious, and larger 200 and 300 series models, it will be positioned as a hardcore retro off-roader that’s a lower volume product, though we imagine that given how popular other retro off-road-focused SUVs like the Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender have been in recent years, plenty of folks will line up for an FJ40-inspired utility.
The new Land Cruiser lineup will reportedly consist of two trims – one of which will be a more hardcore, TRD Pro-like model with impressive off-road capability, with at least one powertrain – the same turbocharged 2.4-liter four cylinder iForce and/or iForce Max available in the 2024 Tacoma. However, it would seem like a major omission if Toyota decided not to also offer the new turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 in the U.S. too, which could very well be the powertrain of choice for America, especially if it does in fact share a lot in common with the 2024 Lexus GX.
Overall, the idea here is to create an SUV specifically for U.S. customers, though it’s possible that the new Land Cruiser will also be sold in Europe. However, given the fact that Toyota intends to sell it in lower quantities than, say, something like the 4Runner, it will be interesting to see just how the new model is positioned in terms of pricing.
Photos: Toyota
Join the YotaTech forums now!
