The Toyota Land Cruiser Is Returning To North America in 2024… But In Name Only

Production for the Toyota Land Cruiser goes as far back as 1951. Since then, the SUV has gone through a series of generations and spin-offs, such as the FJ Cruiser and the 200 Series. But ever since Toyota discontinued the 200 Series Land Cruiser for the United States a few years ago, it is unknown whether or not it would ever reappear in the North American market.

However, after a brief teaser video was shared by Toyota USA’s Facebook, it has been confirmed that the Toyota Land Cruiser is indeed coming back to the U.S. followed by the caption, “Did you really think we’d be gone for long? The legend returns.”

What Can We Expect With The New Toyota Land Cruiser?

As for what kind of Land Cruiser is coming back is anyone’s guess. Reports suggest that it won’t be the heavy-duty 300 Series Land Cruiser, which shares the same platform as the new Lexus LX. If anything, customers will likely be seeing the Land Cruiser Prado, which is smaller and more affordable than its predecessors. It is said that the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado shares the same platform as the Lexus GX, which is a big win for prospective buyers in the market for a vehicle that looks sharp, and can handle some off-roading on the weekend.

What this means is that the new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado may come equipped with a 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine, which can produce 349 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque along with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

What this would mean for future new 4Runner sales remains to be seen, which currently has a starting MSRP of $40,155. Previous Land Cruiser models have shown to be significantly higher in price, with MSRPs ranging from $80k to $100k. So unless some future Toyota customers have some extra cash that they are looking to spend, it seems unlikely that potential Land Cruiser sales will end up poaching new 4Runner customers.