The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is all new…and has a cool vintage vibe
It’s difficult to imagine a Toyota line up without the Land Cruiser, so when the automaker announced the Land Cruiser’s (apparent) demise a few years ago most analysts and enthusiasts thought of it as more of a Who (or Rolling Stones…or Kiss…or Billy Joel) “farewell” tour.
The 2024 Land Cruiser is smaller than the model that ended production in 2021
And sure enough, here comes an all-new 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, arriving in Toyota showrooms in the spring of 2024. After its 3-year break the Land Cruiser returns as a smaller, more affordable and more capable off-road SUV, a direction we wholeheartedly support. Toyota says the 2024 Land Cruiser will start in the mid-$50,000 range, a far cry from the near $90,000 it left at in 2021 and a welcome shift in a world where everything seems to cost a lot more than it did just a few years ago.
The Land Cruiser is the longest-running model Toyota has sold in the U.S.
How did Toyota lower the price on its longest-running U.S. nameplate? By going back to the Land Cruiser’s roots as a (in Toyota’s own words) “durable off-roader with a more accessible MSRP”. Based on Toyota’s newest body-on-frame truck platform, the 2024 Land Cruiser is 4.4 inches narrower and 1.2 inches shorter than the previous model. It also features shorter front and rear overhangs, delivering 31 degrees of approach angle, 22 degrees of departure angle, and 8.7 inches of ground clearance with 25 degrees of breakover angle.
A 4×4 drivetrain with a two-speed transfer case is standard in the new Land Cruiser … [+]
Riding on a new double-wishbone, twin-tube front suspension and a multi-link coil spring rear suspension, the 2024 Land Cruiser includes standard four-wheel drive as well as an optional Multi-Terrain Select system that tunes the off-road drivetrain for different environments. Settings include Mud, Dirt, and Sand, and these operate in both the 4WD-High and 4WD-Low modes made possible with its standard two-speed transfer case. The central and rear differentials can be locked if needed for additional off-road traction.
The previous model’s V8 has been replaced by a four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain
Toyota hasn’t released curb weight for the new Land Cruiser, but its smaller size suggests a lighter SUV compared to the previous model. We do know the former 5.7-liter V8 engine has been replaced by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder paired with a 48 horsepower electric motor. This hybrid drivetrain provides 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, or about 50 less hp and 60 more lb-ft of torque than the V8. An 8-speed automatic is the standard (and only) transmission. The new Land Cruiser has a 6,000-pound tow rating (the previous model was rated for 8,100 pounds).
The interior features an optional 12.3-inch central touchscreen and leather seats
The standard features list looks impressive. Beyond the aforementioned off-road equipment every new Land Cruiser comes with 18-inch wheels, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, a 2400-watt AC inverter, a 6-speaker audio system, and Toyota’s comprehensive suite of driver-assist technology (radar cruise control, lane-keeping assist, automatic braking, automatic high beams, etc.). A standard 8-inch central touchscreen can be upgraded to a 12.3-inch screen, while leather seats, disconnecting sway bars, skid plates, and rock rails are also available.
Kudos to Toyota for offering a “vintage” Land Cruiser “1958” trim with round headlights
The 2024 Land Cruiser will be offered in three trim levels, a base retro-themed “Land Cruiser 1958”, the mid-level “Land Cruiser”, and the premium “Land Cruiser First Edition”. We expect the new model to hold greater appeal with genuine off-road enthusiasts versus the previous family-oriented Land Cruiser, leaving Toyota’s new Grand Highlander and Sequoia to serve that role. We look forward to confirming our theory with seat time in the new Land Cruiser ASAP.