I Love the 326-HP Hybrid 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, But What About Its Friends and Foes?

Not long ago, I used to consider Toyota a reliable but utterly boring automobile maker. Gone were the days of the original RAV4 that basically established the compact crossover SUV sector – a segment that now rules undefeated across the US car market after the first six months of the year, sitting way ahead of full-size pickup trucks.

Back then, when Toyota unleashed the first-gen RAV4, I was just a little kid, but I could easily see myself on a fabulous beach with my friends at the wheel of a three-door convertible SUV from Toyota – it was quirky, it was youthful, it was trendy. And above all, it was just like a Jeep Wrangler but without the bulk of its off-road chassis and reliability issues or big MSRPs.

Luckily, sometime before the end of his term as Toyota's president and CEO, Akio Toyoda decided that a paradigm change was needed to move the automaker forward. Now he's chairman of the board, so he will probably get to see the seeds of his strategy bear ripe fruits. Already, the US lineup looks half-different than before.

For example, a returning S215 Toyota Crown now bridges the gap between crossovers and traditional sedans. There is also a Prius 'Hybrid Reborn' that looks a lot better than before and also comes with a marvelous 220-hp Prime plug-in hybrid variant for $32,350. The Corolla family includes stuff like the Corolla Cross (that might turn into a unibody compact pickup truck soon), the Nightshade variants, plus the mighty GR Corolla.

Speaking of GRs, this company has three of them, including the affordable GR86 (with an upcoming Trueno Edition) plus the classic GR Supra – now also in Orange for its 45th Anniversary Edition. Notice how we have almost only talked about passenger cars so far? Crossovers abound, too, like the 2024 Grand Highlander or Corolla Cross Hybrid, and trucks couldn't get any better than with the upcoming N400 fourth-generation Tacoma mid-sizer.

However, the positive aspects (like the Sequoia and Tundra siblings) are still put to shame by some of the old-school models, like the stunningly boring short-wheelbase Highlander, Sienna, Camry, or RAV4 models. Even the 4Runner is making a quirky note out of context because it looks tough and ready for anything… if we lived during the 1980s.

Fortunately, I bet that a lot of people around the world fell in love – just like I did – with the early August presentation of the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser. Launched worldwide as the proud successor to the 'light duty' model lineage started in 1990 with the J70 models, this should not be confused with the J300 land Cruiser introduced across various regions two years ago. That's why in some markets – like Australia and parts of Europe – it will be called Land Cruiser Prado and in others, including at home in Japan, as the Land Cruiser 250.

But the name etymology doesn't matter too much in North America, where things are kept simple and cheerful with the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser moniker, the transfer of326-hp electrified 2.4-liter inline-four turbo i-Force Max power from the 2024 Toyota Tacoma, and the option to select two design flavors from just three grades. Make that two, as the First Edition is limited to 5,000 units for the entire region of North America, and I bet that once order books are open, that one will disappear off the lot in a matter of hours.

That leaves regular folks with the base 2024 Land Cruiser 1958 featuring round headlights, a grade touted around the mid-$50k mark when it arrives at dealerships sometime next spring. Plus, there's also the squared-off Land Cruiser – a great callback to the big Land Cruiser 80 series from the 1990s. The interior looks great, too, with a mix of modern, connected amenities and the series' inherent toughness.

So, that makes the 2024 Land Cruiser a compelling package in the off-road SUV field and also a big menace for the four-door versions of the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler because if you look at the size charts, they are pretty comparable. Please don't make me say Land Rover Defender, too, because that one will probably clash with the 2024 Lexus GX 550 sibling. By the way, that brings one conundrum.

Is it possible that Toyota made the 2024 Land Cruiser such a compelling package with vintage-modern looks, a hybridized powertrain from the 2024 Tacoma, and the general allure of the GX 550 that it might eat away from the sales reserve of these two 'siblings' not just the reservations of Bronco and Wrangler units? I'm afraid it's entirely possible – although hopefully, Toyota will price the 2024 Tacoma a lot more accessible than the 2024 Land Cruiser and ensure everyone knows the GX 550 targets premium models like the Defender.

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