The ongoing Monterey Car Week is gearing up as a star attraction of the automotive year, considering its many new model introductions and juicy surprises (such as the V8-powered mid-engine Mustang GTD).
However, that doesn't mean August's other heroes do not deserve our attention – even if only virtually. Before the MCW's show of force, Cadillac took over New York City to present the upcoming first-ever, all-electric 2025 Escalade IQ full-size EVSUV in Times Square. Hyundai, meanwhile, occupied Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the logical world premiere of the latest, boxy Santa Fe mid-size CUV.
And Toyota kickstarted the last summer month's extravaganza with the reveal of the 2024 Land Cruiser. Presented for all major regions from home (Toyota City, Japan), the Land Cruiser also bears the 250 moniker or Prado in various markets to ensure everyone understands this is different from the J300 Land Cruiser introduced two summers ago.
In America, on the other hand, it's simply labeled 2024 Land Cruiser and comes with two slightly different personalities depending on trim (classic round LEDs for Land Cruiser 1958 and First Edition, squared for regular Land Cruiser) but only sports a singular powertrain. Unlike its J250 Lexus GX 550 sibling, there's no 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 under the hood with 349 hp but rather the N400 Tacoma's 326-hp i-Force Max hybrid mill – complete with great mileage (an estimate of 27 combined mpg).
However, that's a bit irrelevant for some people. For example, the imaginative realm of digital car content creators only cares about the visual potential of this legendary off-road-focused SUV. And since the model is built on the modular TNGA-F platform, they have the architectural background to make just about anything out of it.
Some decided a three-door convertible SUV would better fight the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler series. Others wanted to see it return to its roots and also envisioned two- or four-door pickup truck versions. Some even thought it was the perfect start base for a potential FJ Cruiser revival or tried to shrink it to mini-SUV proportions that would instantly make any key car aficionado fall in love.
Well, this virtual artist, known as Theottle on social media, has resorted to so much CGI slicing and dicing of the 2024 Land Cruiser to make it a veritable digital series that he mostly touched on all those ideas and then some more. As such, after his 3-door soft or hardtop conversion, the four-door pickup truck, and even a minute Land Cruiser '25,' now it's time for yet another morphing – into a 'baby' Toyota Land Cruiser!
So, in his latest behind-the-scenes making-of video, the pixel master took an unsuspecting Geely Icon subcompact crossover SUV for size and proportion reference and reskinned it with 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser's DNA to make it a 'baby' SUV that would sit proudly in the automaker's lineup even below the Corolla Cross CUV. However, it would only act as the base of the SUV range, sitting below the 4Runner and standard Land Cruiser.
Wouldn't that be cool? Especially since the 'Baby Land Cruiser' could easily remain a feisty and frugal hybrid model given that it could borrow Corolla Cross Hybrid's powertrain and fit the electrified 2.0-liter with 196 hp under its smaller hood. Or it could even turn into a PHEV model with help from the 220-hp powertrain used by the Prius Prime, 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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