The next-generation Toyota Land Cruiser will allegedly debut in April 2021, according to a rumor from Japan’s Best Car. The automaker has already advised dealers about the new SUV.
In a somewhat surprising move, the new Land Cruiser allegedly does not ride on the new F1 body-on-frame platform that models like the next-gen Tundra are getting. Instead, the SUV retains its current underpinnings. However, Land Cruiser would receive an extensive overhaul elsewhere, including new engines, drivetrain updates, and an improved suspension.
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This rumor reiterates the allegation that the next-gen Land Cruiser adopts a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 with hybrid assistance. There would also allegedly be a 3.3-liter turbodiesel but don’t expect to see it available everywhere that Toyota sells the SUV.
A Toyota insider tells us that, at least in the US, the company intends to sell the new Land Cruiser exclusively with five seats and to position it as a “serious off-roader” without the current model’s emphasis on luxury. This should translate to a lower base price than the 2021 SUV’s $85,515 (plus a $995 destination fee). There’s even a report about the possibility of an even more rugged GR version.
The 2021 model year reportedly marks the end of the current Land Cruiser in the US. Assuming this rumor proves accurate, then following the new generation’s debut in April, then we’d expect sales to begin in the second half of the year as a 2022MY product.
Currently, the Land Cruiser and Lexus LX are basically the same vehicle with different styling touches, but this isn’t going to be the case in the future. The Lexus LQ would be the premium brand’s new range-topping SUV, and it would have a focus squarely on luxury, rather than off-road ruggedness.