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2022 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Won't Be Sold Stateside, "Triumphant Return" Mooted

Introduced with the 20 Series in 1955, the Land Cruiser is the longest-running Toyota of them all. Redesigned in 2007 as a 2008 model, the body-on-frame SUV prepares for a complete overhaul next year.
Toyota Land Cruiser 9 photos
Photo: Toyota
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The 300 Series, however, will not be available in the United States of America right after the reveal. “A partner in a large dealer franchise” told Car & Driver that “2021 is the end of the trail for the iconic SUV, but not for long. It will be back soon, and way more modern and luxurious.”

Reading between the lines, the Japanese automaker intends to roll out the all-new Tundra in December 2021 before bringing back the Land Cruiser in the United States. Along with the 2024 Toyota Tacoma which is due in 2023, these two are going to share the TNGA-F platform.

Also known as the F1 vehicle architecture, these underpinnings haven’t been developed with eight-cylinder engines in mind. Mind you, Toyota has actually pulled the plug on V8 development, leaving the Land Cruiser and Tundra with a hybrid V6 as the range-topping option. What kind of hybrid assistance? Well, this detail isn’t exactly clear at the present moment.

What we do know is that a pair of boosty snails will complement the engine, which is an interesting upgrade from the gas-guzzling 5.7-liter V8. Rated at 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet (544 Nm) of torque, the free-breathing motor pales in comparison to the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 found in the Lexus LS 500, which belts out 416 ponies and 442 pound-feet (600 Nm) of torque.

Along with the Land Cruiser, the Lexus LX will also switch to six cylinders and forced induction to the detriment of a deep burble and natural aspiration. April 2021 is when the 300 Series will supposedly debut in Japan, and as it’s the case today, both the Land Cruiser and LX will be manufactured in the Land of the Rising Sun. The all-new Tundra, by comparison, will be manufactured in Texas, while the Tacoma will be made in Mexico.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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