Commentary: The Mystery of The Next "Land Cruiser"
The tag line may be a giveaway. They refer to as a “legend reborn.” They also call it a “rugged SUV.”Have you cracked the code, yet?
Solve this mystery: What was the silhouette image Toyota teased recently on their social media?
The tag line may be a giveaway. They refer to as a “legend reborn.” They also call it a “rugged SUV.”
Have you cracked the code, yet?
Let’s talk about Toyota’s SUV lineup for a moment. By the time they imported the Toyopet Crown, the first-generation Land Cruiser was getting its first taste of American soil. Needless to say, Toyota always had a rugged SUV that attracted a cult following.
The vehicle would not sell in major volumes. It always played catch-up to Kaiser-Jeep’s (and later, AMC Jeep) CJ series in this country, despite being the standard of off-roading adventures elsewhere on this planet. Fantasies of tackling the jungles of Borneo, the Australian outback, and going on safari in sub-Saharan Africa are what attracts customers to the Land Cruiser.
Toyota put the Land Cruiser name out to pasture a year ago. The 200 Series Amazon, as known to markets outside of North America, was supplanted by the new 300 series. We knew that a Toyota version of the flagship SUV would not come to these shores. Instead, it became the luxurious Lexus LX 600 – a tradition that has been a part of the brand for decades.
The emergence of the LX 600 brought much speculation on the future of the Lexus GX. That speculation ended with the unveiling of the new 2024 GX.
In other markets, the Lexus GX is simply known as the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. The less luxurious and highly capable SUV became the standard of “attainable” off-roading. Concurrently, the GX became the symbol of the overlanding movement in North America, turning the highly capable Lexus into an all-conquering machine.
Which brings me to that silhouette image. The image on the right looks uncannily like the Lexus GX. Thus, the speculation mill began to put two-and-two together and figured that the new Land Cruiser could be a Toyota-badged version of the Lexus GX.
That speculation also went global, as they even considered the new GX to be the new Prado.
Before anyone jumps the shark here, there is a lot to consider regarding a GX-based Land Cruiser for North America. This is without speculating what would power the new SUV under the hood or what differences the Toyota version will have between it and the Lexus GX.
One thing is for certain: The next Land Cruiser will less expensive. A lower priced Land Cruiser will help Toyota’s cause and could possibly more units. Just a thought.
Here’s another thing I wonder about. Could this new Land Cruiser actually replace the 4Runner?
Traditionally, the GX/Prado are built on the same chassis as the 4Runner. Given that there have been calls for a new generation 4Runner model, could it make sense to have a fairly priced North American market Land Cruiser to fill that space in the Toyota lineup?
I know I’m offering a lot of questions here, but it does help to understand what Toyota has in mind when they unveil what the North American market Land Cruiser will look like for 2024. Rather how much it will cost?
These are questions that should reveal themselves soon.
Cover photo courtesy of Toyota Motor North America