Last night I attended the reveal of the reimagined 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, and after the covers came off of the two display vehicles, I got some time to climb around in both of them and take a ridiculous number of photos so I can show you, dear reader, every single thing you could possibly want to see (OK, I didn’t look into the diffs). I’ve concluded that the new Land Cruiser feels more like a theoretical sixth-gen 4Runner than a followup to the mighty 200, but before I continue with that thought, let’s get nerdy.
As far as the photos go, I tried to capture as much of the stuff as possible that doesn’t get called out in the press release, but that will still matter to the day to day user. I tried to give as much context as possible with each one, so let’s dive in.
Let’s Look At The Outside A Bit
The gray truck is the base “Land Cruiser 1958” model, while the blue one is the more expensive “Land Cruiser” trim. Toyota has also announced a 5,000 unit run of a special “First Edition”, but it doesn’t seem like one of those exists yet in a physical form.
So far all of these new body-on-frame Toyota and Lexus models use this same six-lug bolt pattern, which would make sense given that they all ride on the same TNGA-F architecture. This means wheels should theoretically transfer across models. This wasn’t the case pre-TNGA-F, as the 200 and 100 Series Land Cruiser, second-gen Tundra, second-gen Sequoia, and Lexus LX 470 and 570 all used a 5-lug pattern, while the Tacoma, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, and GX used 6-lugs. Maybe this isn’t as relevant now as many of these vehicles haven’t even hit the market yet, but it’s nice to know that down the road, you’d be able to, say, swap a set of Tacoma Trailhunter wheels onto your 2024 Land Cruiser if you wanted.
This is looking just aft of the passenger side front wheel. There won’t be any need to do a body mount chop here to fit bigger tires, as is the case on the FJ Cruiser, fifth-gen 4Runner, and GX 470 and GX 460 models.
I couldn’t help but note how bulbous the rear hitch cover is. On the 200, this part is significantly more subtle.
This may be the biggest cowl plastic piece trim between the hood and windshield on any modern vehicle.
Gotta love square mirrors and blind spot monitoring.
I think we all by now understand that North America’s new Land Cruiser is simply the new global market “Land Cruiser 250,” which itself if simply the new-generation of the light-duty vehicle formerly known as the Land Cruiser Prado. Either way though, it’s still fun that you can once again get a Land Cruiser-branded vehicle in the U.S. without a sunroof, known in enthusiast circles as a “slicktop.”
This hasn’t been the case since the 1999 model year, when a few no-sunroof 100 Series models slipped into the country (we’re talking maybe 100 units).
No roof rails on this 1958, but the connection points are still there, so adding them would be easy.
Previous Land Cruiser Prado and Lexus GX models had a side-hinged rear hatch that was cumbersome, heavy, and generally inconvenient to use. This new generation goes to a top-hinged rear hatch, but preserves the independently-opening glass, which is released by a little button there on the bottom left. I still wish it had a tailgate.
Those little circles are where the glass itself attaches to the hinges.
This plastic trim piece seems to be becoming extremely common on new car designs, presumably because it serves to cover up the seam between the D-pillar and roof panels. It also allows for a clean way to offer contrasting roof designs, for which the Land Cruiser is kind of the poster child.
The taillights are very “80 Series.”
A Look At Interior Storage
The interior of the 1958. It feels like a base model, but in this case, that’s a welcomed feeling.
All four of the door pockets have full-size water bottle holders. While I don’t feel compelled to sell my 200 Series for this reimagined Land Cruiser, simple modern sensibilities like this would certainly be a welcomed change.
Here’s the water bottle pocket on the back door.
Here’s the center console button layout on the base gray truck. (Please forgive the difference in lighting conditions).
And here it is on the blue truck. Notice that the button for Multi-Terrain Select on the blue truck replaces the ECT 2ND button on the gray truck (a staple on Toyota trucks for years, pushing that button tells the “Electronically Controlled Transmission” to start in second gear). I’m not sure where this button is relocated to on the higher trim. The blank to the left of the rear locker button on the 1958 is replaced with an “SDM” button on the uplevel trim, which I’m guessing is related to the swaybar disconnect. Also note the button for the camera system to the right of the dial on the uplevel truck. The gray 1958 truck has another blank in this location.
Just a standard center console box on the new Land Cruiser, another indicator that the truck is more 4Runner than 200 Series, the majority of which came with a little refrigerator in this location.
Badging
Something I like about my 200 Series is that it only says “Land Cruiser” in one place – across the rear hatch. I like simple, minimal branding like that. I was eager to count how many times “Land Cruiser” appears on this one. The answer is three times–once on the dash, another time on the back of the center console, and in a third location on the tailgate.
Speaking of badging, the new Land Cruiser has an ‘i-Force MAX’ badge on one side of its rear hatch. Given that this is the only powertrain available in the truck here in the U.S., this just feels like an unnecessary advertisement for Toyota’s new powertrain brand
Finally Cloth Seats Again
.
This also marks the first time since the 1999 model year that any sort of Land Cruiser is available in the U.S. with fabric seats. The fabric itself felt just like what you’d find in the Tacoma or 4Runner, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.
And here’s the rear fold-down center armrest.
I couldn’t believe Toyota launched the third-generation Tundra with an old-fashioned USB-A port still on the dash. I’m relieved to see the company has finally switched over to more modern (and more user-friendly) USB-C, which the new Land Cruiser features exclusively [Editor’s Note: Great, now we all have to buy new cables! -DT] — two on the dash board, and two on the back of the center console, shown here. That AC inverter could come in handy as well as it’s out of the way, but also easily accessible from the front seats.
Tumble Seats
The second row seats fold in the same unique way that they do in past Land Cruiser and Land Cruiser Prado models. The way it happens is 1) the seatback sandwiches down onto the seat bottom, then 2) the whole thing releases and tumbles forward, held in by hinges at the front of the seat bottom. Then there’s a very quirky strap that you undo from the seat bottom and hook around the B-pillar grab handle to make sure the seats don’t fold backwards under acceleration.
It’s hard to make seats that fold completely flat in a body-on-frame off-roader like they do in say, a Highlander, given the need to preserve ground clearance. That said, I think I prefer they way the second row folds in the fifth-gen 4Runner to this approach. In the 4Runner, the seat bottoms release and then rotate forward on hinges, and the seatback then falls down into the space formerly occupied by the seatbottom, which makes for a nice flat load floor that you can sleep on.
That’s likely out of the question with this new Land Cruiser. Which brings me to my next complaint.
A Raised Cargo Floor Due To The Battery
As we all know by now, the new Land Cruiser comes exclusively with a hybrid powertrain here in the US. And that means a 1.87-kWh battery has to live onboard somewhere. In this case, Toyota has chosen to put the battery in the rear cargo area, which raises the cargo floor by about four inches. So essentially, there’s a big plastic-encased battery sitting on top of what could otherwise be a nice flat load floor. They’ve tried to smooth things out by including a few storage compartments fore and aft of the whole ordeal, which, hey, storage is always handy. While I’m not sure where else the battery would go (it’s underneath the rear seat in the new Tacoma Hybrid), as a whole, it feels like lazy design.
Here’s the storage compartment between the second row and the battery.
See the ledge? Oof.
The regular 12V battery also lives in the cargo area.
Just above it is the bottle jack for changing the spare.
This 2400 watt AC inverter, located in the cargo area opposite the bottle jack, will be handy, but it would be even more handy if it could be used while the vehicle is turned off. This would allow you to say, keep a fridge running overnight at a campsite while the vehicle is stationary. I doubt this will be the case – that would take some engineering effort that I doubt Toyota want’s to spend here – but I hope I’m wrong.
Here’s a pre-production quirk – despite the new Land Cruiser being two-row-only in the US, both display vehicles had grab handles for a third row, which is available in the global market Land Cruiser 250, and in the Lexus GX 550. I guess this early in the game, maybe two-row headliners haven’t yet been manufactured.
Having a roll-out cargo cover is nice. If you buy a 200 Series and remove the third row jump seats, there’s still no way to install one – the attachment points aren’t there. The 5-passenger Heritage Edition represented the only way to get a cargo cover in a 200 Series here in the US. No need to worry about any of that nonsense here, as this new Land Cruiser comes exclusively as a 5-seater. If you need a third row, look to the GX 550.
Two grab handles are at the base of the hatch for pulling it down. No strap like on the 5th-gen 4Runner.
Let’s Look Underneath
Looking underneath the rear now, and the exhaust tip sits up high, which is great for off-road clearance.
It’s great to see robust frame-mounted recovery points at both the front and rear, which are controversially omitted on the new Tundra.
Front independent suspension on the 1958, so no disconnecting sway bar here.
Rear suspension on the 1958. That’s a five-link coil sprung design; fairly straightforward and typical in Toyota body-on-frame SUVs.
For what it’s worth, both vehicles had full-size matching spares (both the wheel and tire). While this could change on the production version, it leads me to wonder if a five-tire rotation routine would be possible here, which would save owners money in the long run.
Let’s Look Outside Again
Is it just me, or does it look like a Honda Passport from the rear?
On to the upscale ‘Land Cruiser’ trim.
The circular headlines on the 1958 will probably get the most attention, but these rectangular units are growing on me.
Notice that the grill surround is painted metallic gray on the nicer trim here. It’s an unpainted black on the 1958.
The Land Cruiser trim comes with Rigid-branded color-selectable LED fog lamps. While this may catch some attention, keep in mind that fog lights can only be so bright while also remaining street legal, and anything sold by an automaker obviously has to adhere to those rules. So expect any benefits of these Rigids to be in the quality of light they put out, rather than the quantity.
Later on in the night, someone turned the fog lights on, showing the yellow color. I’m assuming the ‘color-selectable’ feature just means you can change between white and yellow, but I’m not certain.
It’s sacrilegious for anything wearing a Land Cruiser badge to also include a plastic fake skid plate like this. Luckily this thing will offer real underbody protection too.
Another pre-production quirk – look at that panel alignment. Yikes!
These are super mild Michelin LTX Trail all-terrain tires. Worth noting here – the Land Cruiser trim wears bigger tires – 265/70r18 vs. 245/70r18 on the 1958.
Here’s what the roof rails and contrast color roof look like. The roof looks white, but Toyota calls it “Grayscape.”
Inside The Fancy-Trim Land Cruiser
Inside, the Land Cruiser trim on display (kind of annoying that there’s a trim level of the Land Cruiser called ‘Land Cruiser’) had brown seats that I assume were the optional leather-trimmed upholstery, as opposed to the simulated leather that’s standard on this trim.
That brown leather extends onto the door panels.
Here’s the bigger 12.3-inch display that comes with the Land Cruiser trim. Unfortunately, neither infotainment system could be turned on. Note the volume knob stuck off there to the side. At least we get one!
One of my favorite features of my 200 series is its dual sun visors. One for the side window, and another for the windshield. I’m always happy to have them on long drives when the sun is low. I’d been holding out a sliver of hope that this new Prado-based Land Cruiser would have them as some kind of tribute, but no. Just regular old sun visors here.
And that’s pretty much everything I noticed when poring over the new, reimagined 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser.
As both an automotive journalist and a 200 Series owner, this has been a tricky vehicle to cover. On one hand, I dislike that by choosing to market it here as the “Land Cruiser” rather than “Land Cruiser Prado” or “Land Cruiser 250” as it’s being called in the rest of the world, Toyota North America is framing it as a successor to the 200 Series here in the United States. After climbing around in these two preproduction units for a few hours last night, it’s clear that in reality, this is simply a next-generation of the light duty Prado line propped up by what will surely be an onslaught of advertising and imagery here in the U.S. designed to make Americans associate it with the full-size models sold here previously. And I’m kind of anxious to make sure as many people as possible understand that. Because when we reduce “Land Cruiser” to a brand name, it diminishes what the full-size 200 and 100 Series represented – outliers in the areas of engineering, design standards, and use case. [Editor’s Note: As an objective non-Land Cruiser fan (OK, maybe I’m not objective. I like Jeeps. -DT], I don’t quite understand this. If it’s built on the same platform as the 300 Series, and if the chassis and powertrain are designed to handle abuse for years and years just as the 200 Series’ were, then how is this new machine not a worthy successor? I mean, I understand the lack of tailgate, its more basic appointments, and the issues you pointed out like the raised floor, and I understand it’s a bit smaller, but fundamentally: If it’s as reliable and as good off-road, then isn’t it worthy? I guess time will tell. -DT].
On the other hand though, it’s great to have another midsize 4×4 on the market, especially one as generously equipped as this. I think the packaging, standard features, and dare I say, even pricing, are all pretty good.
So here’s how I’m framing the new U.S.-market Land Cruiser. Toyota has essentially given us a 6th-gen 4Runner that’s shaped like a Land Cruiser and says Land Cruiser on it. The same people who love their fourth- and fifth-gen 4Runners will be equally as well-served by this. And no it’s not a 300 Series, but with a starting price in the mid-to-high $55,000 range, it’s going to be a pretty great rugged four-wheel-drive SUV for a whole lot of people.
Why has no one mentioned that the headlight choices reflect the 90 series Prado’s from the 90’s? Base models had the circle headlights. The nicer ones got rectangles. Cool easter egg.
I like the fact that this isn’t a Luxury only Land Cruiser. Kind of like my FJ Cruiser is utilitarian, I can go that route with this one.
Just like there are different flavors of Land Cruisers, this is NOT the 300 series, and I’m glad for that. It’s one I might be able to afford if and when I need to trade up.
I can upgrade the tires and wheels, probably remove or mod the swaybars, and make it my own.
I would Overland and wheel the hell out of it.
I agree. Starting with the 100-series (and arguably the 80-series) the LC became a Luxury vehicle with a Toyota badge that also happened to have great capabilities. I welcome the return to something more affordable but very capable and well built. Lexus exists for those that want higher-end powertrains or luxury, Toyota does not need to compete with Lexus as they have for the past 15-years with the LC and LX.
So I just read the press release that states “all models feature 17-inch disc brakes front and rear”, and I’m wondering how they pull this off on a vehicle with 18″ wheels. Are the calipers on the inside of the rotor like the 2000’s vintage Audi A8, or maybe they are located at the differential like a Jaguar E-type. Inquiring minds want to know. Even the Porsche GT3 has to make do with 410mm brake rotors. This thing must stop like the hand of Thor holding it back.
I agree with DT’s edit. This is still a Land Cruiser. Did anyone even use the later land cruisers like the older land cruisers were? I truly don’t know, but when I think rugged land cruiser, it certainly isn’t the bloated big boy land cruiser of the last 25 years. It’s the 25+ year old ones that look like….this. In my uneducated opinion of Land Cruisers, the later Prado was then seen more often than the later big boy LC. In My research, the Prado didn’t even come out until 1990. The world has had more years of single model LC than they’ve had LC and LC Prado.
This will proliferate the LC brand to other people that previously couldn’t access it before, which to me, is the real rub with LC fans in the US. Even if they called this the Land Cruiser Prado, Americans would never differentiate they’ve got a LC Prado, they’d say they have a LC.
I came to say the same. If it’s on the same platform how would a 300 be different besides in dimensions and a tailgate?
My coworker is an 80 series guy and share’s Chris’ opinion that this vehicle besmirches the LC name.
To me, if it looks like a LC and it drives like a LC…
Nicely written article. This is one of the few Toyotas out there that appeal to me. Thanks for pointing out the badging; I always take off every badge I can on my cars; the automakers can pay me advertising fees if they want them back on.
From an aesthetic perspective, the hitch cover is the biggest miss; it looks like a tumor.
From a packaging perspective, the raised cargo area just looks wrong. I appreciate the hybrid drivetrain, but this really looks phoned in.
If this car really gets 27 mpg and has a reasonably-sized fuel tank, I’d put this on my shopping list when it comes time to retire the (debadged) TDI Touareg.
Do you think the plastic cowl area will help with reflection at all? Also, no one is mentioning the estimated 27 mpg of this Land Cruiser even though it’s listed on the Toyota LC website…https://www.toyota.com/upcoming-vehicles/landcruiser/
The fuel economy estimates did get added to the original article covering the debut.
Everything looked alright and then we got to the load floor. Yikes! This is supposed to be an off-road oriented utility vehicle, right? The hybrid powertrain makes sense, but boy it that a rotten compromise for battery storage. Even worse, Toyota didn’t even bother to properly design around it, leaving that awkward as hell carpeted mat (which I assume will be replaced by something rubber by literally every owner) messily hanging over that edge. They couldn’t have done anything at all to make that transition less awkward?
Maybe I’m overreacting? But if I owned one I’d actively gag every time I opened the cargo area. Which should be a proper tailgate btw.
Yes! That raised cargo floor just makes me sad.
I appreciate the in-depth review by something of a Land Cruiser anorak, but I think the author is fanboying pretty hard and is blinding himself to what this truck is with his millimeter-wavelength view. Take a few steps back and this is 100% Land Cruiser, “golden wheelbase” (WTH??) and all. “Land Cruiser” *is* an entire lineup, and this a part of it.
I’m not (and have never been) in the market for a vehicle like this, but I read your report from start to finish with rapt attention Chris, enjoying it very much. So, thanks for it! 🙂
Though I kinda prefer the JDM 70 series because I’m old and cranky, I don’t dislike the new Toyota “Land Cruiser” that we’re going to get in the States. I say this as a non-LC and non-Toyota person (well, I had a couple of early Supras, but don’t consider myself a Toyota enthusiast by any stretch)… I think the slightly smaller, boxier, and retro-looking model will appeal to US buyers for such trucks, and it’ll probably be in sufficient demand to make Toyota dealerships ample markups over MSRP for the forseeable future.
Also, I always like the use of light/bright non-metallic colors with contrasting white roofs on all real and pretend SUVs, whether they’re actually off-road capable or not so much, like Chevy Blazers. Heck, I even think it looks good on the first-gen Kia Soul EV: https://cdn.content.motors.co.uk/resize/1500/2018/01/Kia-Soul-1.jpg or Hyudai Venue denim edition https://i1.wp.com/gastonrossato.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/DSC_0300.jpg?fit=2500%2C1674&ssl=1 …though both are boxy street-only hatchbacks and about as far as you can get from a real SUV and still seat 4.
Thanks again for your attention to detail and all the close-up photos Chris! 🙂
Do you feel that this version of the LC is overbuilt like the 100, 200, (and assuming) 300 series LC’s? My guess is not just because of the lower price point. From a mechanic POV the Sequioa and LC 300/LX600 are built on the same platform but the build quality, redundancies, and parts used in the Sequioa are not the same as an LC
I’m with DT on this one. All the Toyota nerds on IG and on the 4Runner groups I belong to are all up in arms about this not being a “true” LC like the 200 or 300, but how true were those really? In other parts of the world, one can still buy a brand new 70 series, which still has a SFA and are relatively basic vehicles. I’d argue that’s truer to LC roots than a high dollar luxo barge.
Don’t get me wrong, I LIKE the 200, but it would not be my choice if I wanted a Land Cruiser. Clearly I’m not alone, in the 200’s biggest sales year in the US, they managed to sell a whopping 3,800 of them.
I think people in the US forget the rest of the world, and that Land Cruiser is a brand, with a range of vehicles.
The 200 series sold poorly in the US because only the highest, fully loaded, very expensive trims were offered and there was no marketing efforts either, it kinda flew under the radar unnoticed for years.
Toyota should’ve offered the 200 series in more basic, offroad oriented configurations and now they could build on that and offer the 300 series too.
But instead, we’re now getting a 4 cylinder, hybrid-only Prado without an actual Prado badge. And an upscale Prado with a V6, called GX550.
Plus the 4runner. Plus the Tundra wagon (Sequoia), but not the 300 series, except the luxobarge edition LX600.
I’m sure they had good reasons for all this, but I just don’t understand why they went this way.
I assume the total cost of the stripper version was not low enough to justify it’s existence here. If you want an inexpensive but durable Japanese made SUV, you buy the Prado.
Toyota also does not have the ability to build enough of the full-fat version (LC300), there is a 1-2-year wait list for the Lexus version (which is also more profitable) so offering it in cheaper trims but being unable to build them would be silly.
I would love a breakdown between the 1958 trim and the FJ Cruiser, which was also Prado based.
I know a decent number of folks still holding onto their FJ’s that might be tempted to get something newer if the new model compares favorably. Gas mileage alone would be a big improvement, but that FJ V6 is pretty robust. The body mount change is also huge.
Does the vehicle have an engine? I assume it does as there was a photo of the exhaust pipe, but that was the only clue in the article. A photo of what’s under the hood would have been nice. A description of the powertrain would have been even better.
There was already another article about that stuff. This was exactly what it needed to be, I think.
That battery compartment in the trunk looks terrible. Just theoretically speaking, if there is no non-hybrid offered, can the battery be deleted from the hybrid?
If I understand this correctly, this is more of a mild hybrid system anyway and not a completely interconnected system like in a prius.
It is not a mild hybrid system, but is also very different from what is used in a Prius. The truck-based hybrids (starting with the new Tundra, Sequoia, and now Tacoma and LC) have a single electric motor between the ICE and transmission, so it is providing power directly into the driveline through the transmission. In a Prius there is an electric motor involved that directly drives the wheels and a second one attached to the engine that functions as a generator and also a starter motor, that is not the case here.
Many “mild hybrids” have a motor that is attached to the belt drive system of the engine that add some extra torque, but this is much more complex.
I hope that helps…
I hope they keep the rear headliner handles in the storage area. Those handles are great for mounting a shelf like ones make by Kaon in Australia. They may seem out of place on a 2 row SUV, but they are an important piece of kit.
As I thought about that battery, it made a bit more sense why they wouldn’t bother for a drop-down tailgate – it’s not like it would be a flat with the load floor and every review would ask what the point was (even though there’s other advantages).
But that 2nd row folding…I know it’s for 3rd row access, but still. A 2-step design like wagons and SUVs used to have where the seat cushion flips up (like it does now) and the seatback folds flat would probably smooth it out.
For 3-row 250s, there’s press pictures of all the seats folded flat including the 2nd row not flipped forward, and the GX press photos show the 2nd row in a folded flat position before being flipped forward. So in that position, how high does that sit I wonder? In the global 250 photos it still looks a little higher than the third row, but the photo angle skews it. It’s probably still high then but at least the total cargo area is more squared off, and deeper since then it stretches to the backs of the front seats.
Behold, the 2024 4Runner…
I don’t see how they figured they’d get away with that massive battery compartment lip where the rear floor meets the tailgate. Visually, it looks awful, and functionally it just feels like it’s going to piss off people who do a lot of loading / unloading (especially anything of any substantial size or weight).
That lip is very similar to the GX460, which has 3rd row seats that fold down. My thought is everyone in the world with the 250 series is going to have that lip, its just a matter of if batteries or seats are under it.
I found some images of the cargo-area in a 2-row Lexus GX550 and it does not have the lip, just a lower more normal-looking floor.
So if there is a future non-hybrid version of the LC, or what becomes the next 4Runner, there is a possibility of getting a cargo area without that ledge… At least I truly hope so.
I’m not old enough to be nostalgic for the jeep-like FJ40…so to me, Land Cruiser meant big hulking 4×4 that represented the apex of Toyota engineering with a price to match. And so I agree, I am just not feeling it. I agree with Chris…if I had a 200 series I don’t see a compelling reason to get this unless I wanted to downsize. I have a GX460, and even I don’t really see a compelling reason to update. I guess disconnecting sway bars instead of KDSS and an off-road ready body are nice, but (and I’m clearly in the minority) I think it looks kinda toy-like in a way the bronco and jeeps don’t. I much prefer the GX550 in comparison.
Love all the pictures! It was a visual delight. Thanks. But there was one glaring omission; shrimp.
That hybrid battery shelf or whatever is going on back there is super awkward and unattractive looking. If that’s the only option, I’m out. There’s no way I’d live with that; it would drive me bonkers every time I opened the liftgate.
I could not agree more. That seems like an unbelievably huge mistake by Toyota. All SUVs should have fold flat floors, but especially one geared towards overlanding. Many people use the back of their trucks for a mattress, or pull out drawers. That will be hard to implement on the new Land Cruiser. The messed up floor pretty much instantly takes it off my list. This truck is meant for the Instagram crowd, not people who actually want something practical.
Okay, so here’s my question. If I’m reading the article correctly it sounds like a third row is option in this vehicle and platform outside of the US…if so, are they offering non-hybrid drivetrains? I don’t see how that option is compatible with the battery. It’s really obtrusive as it is in the two row configuration.
I don’t necessarily have a problem with hybrids, but when you’re talking about compromises to the extent shown, I lose some interest. In the end, I know it comes down to legislation and mandates that create these designs, but it does smack of unfairness to always rip on the US when a lot of hybrid and EV drivetrains are being out to market here.
There’s a non hybrid drivetrain outside the US. Certainly, in diesel format.
That sounds about right. It’s unfortunate that we get compromised versions of these models because of our mandates. There’s not really even much of a cost benefit in the end; this isn’t cheap.
In Western Europe we’re getting this as a 7-seater with a 2.8 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine, and in 2025 a mild hybrid version of that engine.
Judging on pictures alone, so who knows, but that base model interior looks hilariously cheap for a $55k vehicle. I know $55k isn’t what it used to be, but damn.
I’m confused by this whole thing.
Love the detail in this post but Chris clearly just wants Toyota to bring a basic 300 series into the US. The Pardo is not a ‘light’ duty 4×4 as evidenced by the hardware it is built with, breakovers, etc. It is a bit early in the piece to relegate this to a 6th gen 4Runner.
There is a fair argument that Prado is a more capable 4×4 due to size and weight. 300’s (about 300kg difference from what I can see). Keen to get David’s take.
Idk, nothing about this thing looks like $60k.
Nothing is as good as it used to be. My sandwich is too dry, etc, etc.
Hard candy?
Like, for instance, that cargo carpet???
The FJ62 started at about $21k in 1989, equivalent to $51k today, and that was pretty spartan. Presumably what you’re paying for is underneath the skin, although that’ll take a deeper dive to validate.
And once the hype fell away it didn’t last very long either.