To be manufactured alongside the J250 GX in Japan, the J250 Prado will be known as the Land Cruiser in the US market. Masterfully rendered by pixel artist Carbizzy, the overlander will be revealed in full on August 1 at 21:20 Eastern Daylight Time. As for customers in Japan, make that August 2 at 10:00 JST.
Teased like there's no tomorrow, the 250 series isn't a 150 with redesigned body panels. Given that it features the TNGA-F (Toyota New Global Architecture – Frame) platform, the J250 is completely new from the ground up. From the standpoint of exterior design, the blocky aesthetic is both modern and a throwback to much older Land Cruiser models, including the iconic FJ62.
Distinguished from the 60 series by means of a fuel-injected sixer, the FJ62 sports dual rectangular headlights. The J250 also boasts rectangular headlights. Further sweetening the deal, the 2024 model year has been teased with an egg-crate front grille adorned with the T O Y O T A script in bold uppercase letters.
From the bodysides, you'll be hard-pressed to find any major difference between it and the 2024 model year Lexus GX. There are, however, minor stylistic differences because Toyota can't afford the GX to play second fiddle to the more affordable Land Cruiser.
Better known as the Prado, the J150-replacing J250 is underpinned by a platform that supports a certain degree of electrification. The Sequoia, which indirectly replaces the full-size Land Cruiser in the United States market, comes standard with a twin-turbo V6 hybrid setup.
The Tundra half-ton pickup truck is available with said powertrain. One segment below the Tundra, the mid-size Tacoma is available with a hybridized 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder lump. The standard engine is the very same 2.4-liter turbo sans electrification. What's more, the standard engine can be paired with a six-speed manual. The automatic transmission has eight forward ratios to its name, whereas the 2024 model year Lexus GX features the 10-speed auto from the Sequoia.
Similar to the GX, we're looking forward to double-wishbone suspension up front and multi-link suspension out back. The GX and Tacoma are both available with something called AVS, namely Adaptive Variable Suspension which continuously adjusts damping with the help of built-in actuators in the shocks.
E-KDSS may be in store for the J250 as well for improved wheel articulation, together with an electronic locking rear differential. Depending on the market, the fifth-gen Prado will come with three powertrains at launch. There is a possibility for gas and diesel twin-turbo V6s to be added later on in the J250's life cycle, but only time will tell if this hunch is correct.
The list kicks off with the aforementioned 2.4-liter turbo, which makes either 228 or 278 ponies in the 2024 model year Tacoma. The 1GD-FTV turbo diesel isn't coming stateside, which is a bit of a bummer. Not only does it offer good fuel economy, but it's also rated at 369 pound-feet (500 Nm) at 1,600 revolutions per minute. The final entry is a naturally-aspirated 2.7 that belts out 164 ponies in the Hilux Workmate.
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. Full profile
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