This is, for all intents and purposes, the Japanese company's longest-running nameplate. It's a true icon that truly belonged in the North American lineup, of course. Justice is finally served, albeit slightly altered.
Because using the 'Land Cruiser' nameplate could raise a few eyebrows depending on where you are located, let us start by saying this is not the big four-wheel drive J300 Land Cruiser that Toyota unveiled back in the summer of 2021. Instead, this is the J250 version that shares a lot of DNA with the 2024 Lexus GX and will be known as the Land Cruiser 250 at home in Japan and as Land Cruiser Prado in Australia, for example.
Now that we got the off-road air cleared let us applaud the return of the Land Cruiser moniker to North America and its desire to stay "true to its heritage as a durable off-roader at a more accessible MSRP in the mid-$50,000 range." Yep, they're doing just that – not raising but lowering the prices. It was only logical, but still lovely to see – this Land Cruiser needs to slot below the 2024 Lexus GX 550 (so we know that one will be more than $55k at the very least!) to respect the hierarchy.
And here's the other big novelty – while its GX 550 sibling features the V35A-FTS 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 packing 349 horsepower and 479 lb-ft (649 Nm) of torque under the hood, the 2024 Land Cruiser will come exclusively with the i-Force Max turbo 2.4-liter four-pot hybrid powertrain featuring 326 hp and 465 lb.-ft. (630 Nm) of torque. Standard perks will include the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite on all models, and there's also an optional bundle of 12.3-inch touchscreen displays for the Toyota Audio Multimedia system and Multi-Terrain Monitor.
"This icon belongs in our lineup," says Toyota group vice president and general manager Dave Christ. "For 2024, Land Cruiser returns to its origin with a heritage-inspired design paired with the legendary capability and durability Land Cruiser is known for, and it will take even more customers on adventures across the globe as it has done for generations." Production will take place at TMC's Tahara and Hino plants in Japan and is scheduled to arrive at nationwide US dealerships next spring with a promised mid-$50k base price.
Of course, it remains to be seen if the initial batch of First Edition units (the grade is limited to 5,000 units across North America) will carry the same MSRP when equipped "with round heritage LED headlamps, roof rack, rock rails, and exclusive interior design." By the way, the new iteration is 1.2 inches shorter and 4.4 inches narrower than the Land Cruiser Series 200 for better off-road performance – which equates to 8.7 inches of ground clearance plus an approach angle of up to 31 degrees and max departure of 22 degrees while breakover angle reaches 25 degrees. Cool, right?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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