The Land Cruiser made Toyota a household name. From early FJs to the long-running 70 series and the J300 that's not coming to America, the Land Cruiser still is relevant in this sea of nondescript SUVs.
Toyota discontinued the J200 from the US market after the 2021 model year. Part of the reason why the full-size Land Cruiser had to be canned is poor sales. Paying almost $90k for a Toyota is rather chucklesome, and the Japanese automaker should've known better. The LX also cannibalized sales of the Land Cruiser due to extremely similar pricing and similar oily bits.
As you're well aware, Toyota redesigned the Sequoia on the TNGA-F platform of the J300. Said platform also underpins the LX, Tundra, GX, and Tacoma. Given these circumstances, there is no case to be made for the J300 in the United States. A smaller Land Cruiser, however, makes perfect sense. Last month, Toyota Motor North America confirmed the LC's return stateside. Following a recent design teaser, we're utmost certain the newcomer is smaller than the 300 series.
Land Cruiser 250 is believed to be its moniker back home in Japan, whereas other markets know the smaller version as the Land Cruiser Prado. In the United States market, chances are Toyota won't even use a suffix.
Masterfully rendered by pixel artist Halo oto, the Land Cruiser is extremely similar to the GX in many respects. The squarish lights are perfectly suited for this application, giving the Land Cruiser a distinctive look. Unashamedly rugged, the 250 series – or whatever the Prado will be called for this generation – also had its cabin rendered. It's hard to tell if any of those goodies will carry over to the real thing, but in the meantime, this is all we have on the 2025 model.
The biggest question, however, is how the redesigned 4Runner will fit in with the Land Cruiser in the lineup. Toyota may differentiate said peas in a pod by means of pricing and go-anywhere capability, with the Land Cruiser being the more capable and pricier sibling.
Currently priced at $40,155 (sans destination freight charge), the 4Runner will get the 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine for its next generation, with said lump carrying over from the 2024 Toyota Tacoma. The force-fed mill is available with a good ol' manual transmission in the mid-size pickup truck, whereas the hybrid version comes with a torque-converter automatic.
As for the Land Cruiser, the 3.4-liter V6 advertised as having 3.5 liters may be standard, whereas the hybrid version of the 2.4er may be optional. The Tacoma doesn't feature the 3.4er, yet the GX has been confirmed with it. The 3.4-liter V6 hybrid of the Tundra and Sequoia clearly won't be offered in the LC and GX.
Believed to slot in the $50k to $60k range, the 250 is the indirect successor of the FJ Cruiser in this part of the world. Coincidentally, the FJ Cruiser also featured Prado/4Runner/GX underpinnings.
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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