The next version of the Toyota Land Cruiser is ready to head to the market, but it’s not a name we will see in the United States.
For many years, the Land Cruiser name has epitomized one of the top names in full-size off-road SUV driving to give us a big and powerful vehicle to handle the amazing drive desired when out on the trails. This new model will be a 300-series model, with the last version being the 200-series version that is no longer being offered in any market.
The Name We Will See
Don’t feel too left out just because Toyota won’t be bringing the name you’ve known for so long back to the American auto market. This new version of the Land Cruiser will take on a different form when it arrives and is offered for our driving experience. What we will see instead of the Toyota model will be a new version of the Lexus LX, which is essentially the same thing. These two models have been joined at the hip for years, and it seems smart to finally just offer one of them in our market.
What Will the New Toyota Model Include?
The specs of the new Land Cruiser bring us a vehicle that will weigh much less than it did in the past. In fact, the new version will be 440 pounds lighter than the outgoing model, making this Toyota more efficient, more agile, and better for your time out on the trails. Not only will this vehicle weigh less, but it will also have two new engines offered, both of which contribute to the weight savings of this vehicle. Previous models of the Land Cruiser were powered by a large V8 engine, but that time is gone.
Instead of a big V8, this new Toyota will be powered by two different V6 engines that you can select from. The base engine will be a 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged model that makes 409 horsepower and 479 lb.-ft. of torque. The other option for foreign markets will be to select the 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged diesel engine that brings 304 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque for the drive. Both of these engines will be mated to a ten-speed automatic transmission, and this vehicle will have 4WD as part of the standard build of this vehicle.
Added Style Elements for the Land Cruiser
The new design that will arrive in other markets will still be recognizable as the Toyota Land Cruiser. The front does come with a new, more prominent grille and an impressive lighting setup to give you the front look you want to see. Around the rear of this big SUV, you’ll find new taillights and a reshaped housing for them to give you a brand-new style. Moving inside the cabin, you’ll see a large tablet-style infotainment screen that upgrades the technology and connectivity of this impressive SUV. You’ll see a dashboard layout that is smooth and clean, giving you the unfussy style you want to see. There are three rows of seats for this SUV, with the third row that can fold into the floor.
Making the Ride Better for You
To improve the drive you enjoy when you’re behind the wheel, you’ll be glad to have the live-axle rear suspension design that improves the articulation of this vehicle. When this new Land Cruiser arrives, it will use a new version of the Toyota Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) to an electronic version called E-KDSS. This system employs hydraulic pressure to modify the resistance of anti-roll bars to give you more capability on the trails.
The E-KDSS system replaces the centrally mounted hydraulic pump and gives you a pair of pumps on each axle which allows each axle to move independently to ensure you can have much greater control over the body movements and wheel articulation when you’re ready for an adventure.
Going Off-Road? You’ll Want These Items
The new Toyota Land Cruiser is still a large and imposing SUV that can be difficult to maneuver due to the many blind areas that you find when you drive. The Toyota team is working to remove many o these blind areas with a pair of electronic aids that will give you the views you need. The Multi-Terrain Monitor and Multi-Terrain Select systems are ready to give you the added benefits you’re looking for.
The Multi-Terrain Monitor is a camera system that allows you to see obstacles that might not be seen around other parts of the vehicle where you don’t have cameras situated. The Multi-Terrain Select system is a system that automatically changes the drive model based on the terrain. This system does this for you so that you don’t have to make the changes you need on your own when you drive.
The Tour Then the Sales
Toyota will take the new Land Cruiser around on the auto show tour through the summer, and it will be the first version of this SUV in more than sixty years to not be sold in the United States. Once this tour has been completed, the Land Cruiser will then be offered to the markets, where it will be offered after the summertime. Expect to hear more specifics about this SUV as we get much closer to the launch that will make this SUV available for those looking for an excellent off-road SUV.
The Lexus Model Will Arrive Later
We might not see the version we will have in the United States until the official beginning of the 2023 model year. The new Land Cruiser and Lexus LX are only going to be built in two factories, and neither one can be enlarged, which means the supply of these SUVs will be constrained by that limitation. The Lexus LX will sell at a higher price, which makes sense since it is going to be part of the luxury brand. It seems we will spend a lot of time talking about this new Lexus with hopes that Toyota eventually decides to give us the Land Cruiser as well.
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