Toyota dropped the Land Cruiser from its lineup in 2021 after slowly tanking sales and the pandemic’s toll on automakers caused some shakeups. The Land Cruiser, however, is a legendary mainstay and losing it entirely would not go over well. As promised, Toyota has brought it back. But this seventh generation of the Cruiser is not the same as the previous models were.
This new-gen Toyota Land Cruiser is smaller, cheaper, and hybrid-electric. The first two points look back towards the Land Cruiser’s iconic past, as does the boxier exterior design. The last point looks towards Toyota’s plans for the future.
The previous generation Land Cruiser was introduced in 2008 and went for thirteen years without much change. That’s a long time for any vehicle model to go without a generational upgrade. The Land Cruiser was big, expensive, and luxuriously appointed. Making it hard to justify it versus the similarly-priced and mechanically identical Lexus option.
Two big changes mark this new generation of the Land Cruiser. Both of which turn back the clock to a previous time when the Land Cruiser was more utilitarian than it was luxurious. And both of which are the reason that the new Land Cruiser is so much less expensive compared to the previous-gen.
The first big change is in the size of the SUV. The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is now smaller and lighter when compared to the 2021 model. That’s resulted in less rear cargo space and a deletion of the third row option. For reference, the Land Cruiser used to be about the same size as Toyota’s Sequoia, but is now closer in size to the 4Runner instead.
The other major change is in the Land Cruiser’s powertrain. The V8 that powered it for the last few generations is gone, replaced by an engine half its size. The turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder, however, has a hybrid makeup that produces a total of 326 horsepower and a whopping 465 pound-feet of torque. Since it’s a hybrid, there’s no turbo lag and four-wheel drive is still standard. What is gained, besides the instant torque of an electric motor, is almost 10 mpg in fuel economy. The Land Cruiser goes from its 14 mpg combined rating to 23.
Both of these harken back to the Land Cruiser’s roots. Back in the 1950s, when the Land Cruiser first appeared, Toyota used an inline six-cylinder engine. The BJ, based loosely on the Willy’s Jeep, was contemporary to the early British Land Rover models that were also gaining popularity at the time.
In the early 1980s, the 60 series Land Cruiser introduced what we now think of as the modern “street ready” four-door model for the SUV. Its wheelbase grew to 107.5 inches and its interior gained creature comforts and even near-luxury fitments. The following generation, the J80, came a decade later and solidified the Land Cruiser’s luxurious expectation for buyers. The inline six was still standard, but its wheelbase had grown to 112 inches. Then, in the U.S., the sixth-generation Land Cruiser was introduced with a V8.
This 2024 model backtracks size and engine displacement back to the 1980s models, with a wheelbase similar to the previous-generation, but a body length more commensurate with those 1980s designs. Yet the smaller powertrain doesn’t mean that the off-road capabilities have shrunk. If anything, they’re better. Toyota kept the Cruiser’s reputation for going anywhere at anytime intact.
Price-wise, the 2024 Land Cruiser is about $10,000 cheaper than its predecessor. There are tradeoffs for that, though. Those expecting the luxury of the previous couple of generations will be disappointed. This new Land Cruiser is trimmed down and much more day-to-day. There are some cheap-feeling appointments inside and a few missing standard features here and there as well. But it’s not a low-rent interior. It’s just not as fancy as it was before. New buyers won’t notice.
All in all, the new 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is a really good step in the right direction for the SUV. Its close mix with its Lexus counterpart (the GX) made it a tough justification for many buyers. Now it’s a lot more differentiated and easier to digest as a purchase option. And the hybrid powertrain is as near perfect as things can get for a machine like this. Toyota did a good job rethinking the Land Cruiser for the North American market.
