New 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser unveiled with bold retro design
The iconic off-roader has returned with new technology and powertrains
The Land Cruiser has enjoyed worldwide success during its 72-year history and now Toyota has unveiled a new one which it says ‘focuses on its traditional strengths of quality, durability, and reliability to tackle the toughest conditions’.
We can immediately see the new Land Cruiser will tap into the retro charm of its predecessors with its design, but underneath it’ll feature an all-new platform to help give it more off-road prowess and better on-road driveability.
In terms of design, the new Land Cruiser expresses a ‘back to its origins’ look according to Toyota. This is achieved with a chunky profile combined with the bluff front-end, protective cladding all around and angular surfacing. Should you damage the Land Cruiser during an off-road excursion, Toyota has designed the body parts to be removed more easily.
To help give the Land Cruiser extra capacity to traverse the rough stuff, Toyota has made sure the front end rear overhangs are as small as possible and the driver’s all-round visibility is aided by a relatively low window line.
For those looking for even more old-school design, a First Edition version will go on sale alongside the standard car. It’ll feature some exterior tweaks like round headlights, different coloured trim panels and some exclusive paint finishes. Only 3,000 examples of the First Edition will be made for Europe however.
The new Land Cruiser will utilise a body-on-frame construction with Toyota’s GA-F platform, which it says will significantly improve off-road performance. A disconnecting front anti-roll bar also offers greater flexibility off-road. On-road driving should also be better, with Toyota claiming the new frame is 50 per cent more rigid and that ‘basic suspension performance has been enhanced’.
From launch the Land Cruiser will come with a 2.8-litre turbocharged diesel engine with 201bhp. It’ll be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with a towing capacity of 3,500kg. In early 2025 a 48-volt mild-hybrid Land Cruiser will join the range – marking the first time the car has received electrified power.
There will be a choice of five- or seven-seat configurations for the Land Cruiser and inside it’ll get updated technology to help it take on the likes of the Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender. While there’s a large central touchscreen, there are also plenty of chunky buttons which should be easy to operate while travelling over bumpy terrain.
Customer orders will open later on this year, with first deliveries expected in early 2024. There’s no word on pricing yet for the new Land Cruiser, but we expect it to start over £50,000.
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