Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation
The Japanese automaker's American division was quicker to release the returning 2024 Land Cruiser into the wild, but other markets are now following its lead, with Japan at the forefront.
Toyota has a spectacular quartet of mid-size off-road offerings for the very important North American market – the Lexus GX 500 with a V6 under the hood, the N400 Tacoma pickup truck, the iconic Land Cruiser now nimbler and less pricey, and the newly introduced 4Runner all-rounder. But at home in Japan, they're still busy catching up with the market introductions, and their Land Cruiser '250' is now slated to arrive in the Land Cruiser lineup that also includes the full-size LC300 and the old-school Land Cruiser '70.'
They're not going to their customers empty-handed, though, because the carmaker is also dropping not one but two special edition models - ZX "First Edition" and VX "First Edition," both limited to a combined total of just 8,000 units. The Land Cruiser '250' will become the backbone of the series, tucked between the more luxurious LC300 and the sturdy & durable LC70, and brings to market a number of novelties – it's the first Land Cruiser fitted with an electric power steering (EPS) or a Stabilizer with Disconnection Mechanism (SDM).
Unlike America, where it's solely powered by the electrified 2.4-liter turbo inline-four 'i-Force Max' 326-hp powertrain shared with the 2024 Tacoma and 2025 4Runner, at home in Japan, the Land Cruiser '250' has two options under the hood - a 2.8-liter direct injection turbo diesel engine with the Direct Shift-8AT and a 2.7-liter gasoline engine (161 hp) with a 6 Super ECT, both featuring a full-time 4WD with Torsen LSD. Now, let's talk a little about those two special editions, shall we?
The ZX "First Edition" (starting from JPY 7,850,000 or $50,880) is obviously based on the ZX trim level and packs the 2.8-liter diesel engine along with special equipment like the round Bi-Beam LED headlights, matte black-painted 18-inch aluminum wheels shod in off-road tires, plus LED clearance lights (with Follow Me Home function) and LED daytime running lights. Secondly, the VX "First Edition" is available with both powertrain options.
It's a bit cheaper, also – starting at JPY 5,900,000 with the 2TR-FE gasoline engine or JPY 7,000,000 with the 1GD-FTV diesel mill, which equates to $38,244 and $45,371, respectively. Obviously, the JDM Toyota Land Cruiser is much cheaper than in America, where it kicks off at $55,950 – and these are the special editions. If we look at the base price of JPY 5,200,000 ($33,705) for the five-seat GX grade – while the ZX and VX are both seven-seaters – the difference is even more preposterous.
However, Americans shouldn't feel bad about themselves – they have the flagship i-Force Max engine. Plus, I bet that Europeans will soon look at the JDM models with plenty of envy because they will get the same powertrains and probably higher-than-US list prices!
They're not going to their customers empty-handed, though, because the carmaker is also dropping not one but two special edition models - ZX "First Edition" and VX "First Edition," both limited to a combined total of just 8,000 units. The Land Cruiser '250' will become the backbone of the series, tucked between the more luxurious LC300 and the sturdy & durable LC70, and brings to market a number of novelties – it's the first Land Cruiser fitted with an electric power steering (EPS) or a Stabilizer with Disconnection Mechanism (SDM).
Unlike America, where it's solely powered by the electrified 2.4-liter turbo inline-four 'i-Force Max' 326-hp powertrain shared with the 2024 Tacoma and 2025 4Runner, at home in Japan, the Land Cruiser '250' has two options under the hood - a 2.8-liter direct injection turbo diesel engine with the Direct Shift-8AT and a 2.7-liter gasoline engine (161 hp) with a 6 Super ECT, both featuring a full-time 4WD with Torsen LSD. Now, let's talk a little about those two special editions, shall we?
The ZX "First Edition" (starting from JPY 7,850,000 or $50,880) is obviously based on the ZX trim level and packs the 2.8-liter diesel engine along with special equipment like the round Bi-Beam LED headlights, matte black-painted 18-inch aluminum wheels shod in off-road tires, plus LED clearance lights (with Follow Me Home function) and LED daytime running lights. Secondly, the VX "First Edition" is available with both powertrain options.
It's a bit cheaper, also – starting at JPY 5,900,000 with the 2TR-FE gasoline engine or JPY 7,000,000 with the 1GD-FTV diesel mill, which equates to $38,244 and $45,371, respectively. Obviously, the JDM Toyota Land Cruiser is much cheaper than in America, where it kicks off at $55,950 – and these are the special editions. If we look at the base price of JPY 5,200,000 ($33,705) for the five-seat GX grade – while the ZX and VX are both seven-seaters – the difference is even more preposterous.
However, Americans shouldn't feel bad about themselves – they have the flagship i-Force Max engine. Plus, I bet that Europeans will soon look at the JDM models with plenty of envy because they will get the same powertrains and probably higher-than-US list prices!
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