Toyota Land Cruiser teaser confirms connection to Lexus GX

Following the announcement that the Toyota Land Cruiser nameplate would return to American shores, the Japanese automaker has launched a teaser of the SUV. Not solely does it give us an thought of its fundamental seems, it additionally reveals that it’ll principally be a twin to the just lately revealed Lexus GX.

A couple of issues affirm the GX connection. First, the general boxy profile and upright entrance finish. Then there’s that distinct piece of upswept sheet metallic on the windowsill of the rear door. These are unquestionably cues from the GX. However in addition to the design hints, there’s the general measurement. Toyota photographed the brand new Land Cruiser alongside an FJ40 Land Cruiser, and whereas it is positively greater, the scale distinction is not as nice as we might anticipate with the worldwide 300-series Land Cruiser and its twin, the Lexus LX.

Toyota’s personal press launch additionally confirms what we might see; that this is not the worldwide Land Cruiser. The discharge says: “With 65 years of heritage, you’ll be able to select to decelerate or reinvent your self. We selected the latter.” In different phrases, this is not the Land Cruiser you understand.

Now earlier than anybody begins complaining that this American Land Cruiser will not be a “actual” Land Cruiser, that is not precisely true, both. The Lexus GX has all the time been based mostly on a smaller, extra funds model of the Land Cruiser known as the Prado. Odds are, that is what our Land Cruiser will probably be known as in different markets. And whereas not as massive and never with the direct lineage of previous Cruisers, the Prado nonetheless has loads of off-road credibility.

Seeing as this will probably be smaller and never the full-fat Land Cruiser, the American variant also needs to be far extra inexpensive than the 200-series Land Cruiser was. That SUV began at greater than $85,000. We do not know for positive, however pricing beneath the roughly $78,000 of the Sequoia TRD Professional would appear cheap to us.

Powertrains needs to be principally the identical because the GX with a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 and four-wheel drive normal, with some type of hybrid model coming sooner or later. The chassis will probably be based mostly on the TNGA-Body platform with double-wishbone entrance suspension and multi-link solid-axle rear. It’ll probably even be provided with a 3rd row of seats both as an possibility or normal. And whereas there isn’t any reveal date simply but, you’ll be able to make sure to see the SUV revealed this 12 months, and launching someday subsequent 12 months.

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