New Toyota Land Cruiser Se concept maps the path to the electric 4x4 of the future

Toyota has kicked off its plethora of Tokyo Motor Show concept cars in style, with an BEV alternative to the go-anywhere Toyota Land Cruiser. It’s the first confirmation that the venerable off-roader will embrace electrification in the future.

Badged ‘Landcruiser Se’, the maker says the seven-seat 4x4 concept offers the “high-torque driving performance unique to BEVs”. No further battery or powertrain information has been confirmed at this time.

It’s likely the Se will launch alongside the conventional Land Cruiser in due course. Toyota says the new car will “broaden the Land Cruiser brand’s appeal with a three-row SUV that caters to the world’s diverse needs.”

Measuring 5,150mm long, 1,990mm wide and 1,705mm tall, it is longer and wider – but a little bit lower – than the recently revealed all-new Land Cruiser, which is due on sale some time in 2024.

Toyota says the Se concept boasts an “elegant, stylish design”. It’s certainly sleeker than the current car, largely thanks to its long wheelbase, sloping roofline and blacked-out C-pillar. It looks to be riding on large wheels with road-biased tyres, though Toyota claims the monocoque body will offer “highly responsive handling and confidence in tackling tough terrain.”

This suggests that even in the electric age, the Land Cruiser will remain Toyota’s most focused and hardcore 4x4 model – sitting above cars like the electric bZ4x and hybrid RAV4.

The Se should be more usable day-to-day than its predecessors, however, thanks to a “quietness” that helps to create a “comfortable cabin space when driving in urban areas and other on-road situations". We’ve not been issued a look inside the car at this stage.

As well as the electric Land Cruiser, the brand will use the 2023 Toyko show to present a mid-size electric pick-up truck, as well as an FT-Se sports car and FT-3e SUV.