Following the announcement that the Toyota Land Cruiser nameplate would return to American shores, the Japanese automaker has launched a teaser of the SUV. Not solely does it give us an concept of its fundamental appears to be like, it additionally reveals that it’s going to mainly be a twin to the lately revealed Lexus GX.
Just a few issues affirm the GX connection. First, the general boxy profile and upright entrance finish. Then there’s that distinct piece of upswept sheet steel on the windowsill of the rear door. These are unquestionably cues from the GX. However in addition to the design hints, there’s the general dimension. Toyota photographed the brand new Land Cruiser alongside an FJ40 Land Cruiser, and whereas it is undoubtedly greater, the dimensions distinction is not as nice as we would anticipate with the worldwide 300-series Land Cruiser and its twin, the Lexus LX.
Toyota’s personal press launch additionally confirms what we may see; that this is not the worldwide Land Cruiser. The discharge says: “With 65 years of heritage, you possibly can select to decelerate or reinvent your self. We selected the latter.” In different phrases, this is not the Land Cruiser you understand.
Now earlier than anybody begins complaining that this American Land Cruiser will not be a “actual” Land Cruiser, that is not precisely true, both. The Lexus GX has at all times been based mostly on a smaller, extra funds model of the Land Cruiser known as the Prado. Odds are, that is what our Land Cruiser shall be known as in different markets. And whereas not as huge and never with the direct lineage of previous Cruisers, the Prado nonetheless has loads of off-road credibility.
Seeing as this shall be smaller and never the full-fat Land Cruiser, the American variant also needs to be much more reasonably priced than the 200-series Land Cruiser was. That SUV began at greater than $85,000. We do not know for positive, however pricing beneath the roughly $78,000 of the Sequoia TRD Professional would appear affordable to us.
Powertrains ought to be mainly the identical because the GX with a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 and four-wheel drive commonplace, with some type of hybrid model coming sooner or later. The chassis shall be based mostly on the TNGA-Body platform with double-wishbone entrance suspension and multi-link solid-axle rear. It’ll probably even be supplied with a 3rd row of seats both as an possibility or commonplace. And whereas there is not any reveal date simply but, you possibly can remember to see the SUV revealed this yr, and launching someday subsequent yr.
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