The rumor mill is dying to find out if a mini, rugged Toyota Land Cruiser is happening or not, and the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is ready to make their dreams come true.
Everything started, of course, with the teaser from August that the Japanese automaker showcased during the initial global presentation of the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser (Prado or 250 in specific markets). Back then, while people looked at the two variants of the mid-size off-roader present on stage, Toyota quickly showed a couple of silhouettes on the big LCD wall.
One was easy to identify – it was the company's next electric SUV, a model larger than the bZ4X and thought by the rumor mill to be called bZ5X. Well, that logic went down the drain just recently when the Japanese carmaker revealed one of its main surprises for the inaugural Japan Mobility Show (formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show) – it was obviously the Toyota Land Cruiser Se concept from JMS.
However, the parallel universes of vehicular CGI remain fixated on finding out what's up with the second model teased during the launch. Everyone and their mother thought it would be called 'Land Hopper' and would turn into a third model in the Land Cruiser lineup alongside the J250 and J300 body-on-frame versions because, around the same time, the company filed a trademark for the moniker.
Alas, the nameplate turned out to be bogus – at least as far as Toyota fans are concerned and instead was used for a three-wheel mobility concept to be showcased at the Japan Mobility Show. Well, the good folks at the REC Trends channel on YouTube have decided to address the issue head-on with their vision of the potential 'baby' Land Cruiser that would both be an indirect successor to the FJ Cruiser nameplate as well as a body-on-frame TNGA-F variant for the compact class.
If true, this kind of vehicle would have very few rivals – the Ford Bronco Sport is a quick example, but it's only a unibody – as the Jeep Wrangler and standard Ford Bronco only touch the compact class with their two-door version. In contrast, this Toyota would surely come with four doors. Of course, this also needs to be taken with a grain of salt because nothing is official just yet – only speculation around the possibility of a mini-Land Cruiser to stand proud next to the J250 and J300 versions in a new global lineup that could establish the nameplate as a true sub-brand – just like Land Rover already did with the Range Rover Evoque, Velar, Sport, and Range Rover series.
Interestingly, the channel's host even talks about potential powertrains – a gasoline mill would be logical for North America. Still, if the model turns out to be a global affair, it would certainly also need stuff like diesel engines and even some electrified options to make it a true generalist. So, do we think that a compact Land Cruiser will happen soon – or is this all just wishful thinking?
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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