Downsizing the engines doesn’t mean smaller in size though.
The Land Cruiser has been one of Toyota’s staple cars for a while now. Unrivaled in the large SUV segment for some time, the Land Cruiser struggled to see sales of over a thousand units annually for the past few years. To address the decline, Toyota confirmed that the current Land Cruiser is going out in 2021, with a complete refresh potentially up its sleeves.
The current-generation Land Cruiser was released in 2008, making it one of the oldest models offered today. Although the old versions like the FJ60 and FJ80 are selling for a lot of money in auctions, the modern model does not have that kind of value.
Vehicles from other manufacturers like Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade have crushed the Land Cruiser’s market in the US. That being said, in its glory days, it did not have any real competition in the segment and was the most desired vehicle out there. However, competition became fiercer in recent years, and even though the manufacturer kept updating it to make it more modern, a big refresh is absolutely needed.
Rumors suggest Toyota has been working on refreshing the Land Cruiser lineup, with the next-generation likely to be called the 300 series. The previously used V8 is not expected to make a comeback, with the company looking at V6 options instead. A 3.3-liter V6 diesel version is expected, along with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 petrol unit and a hybrid variant.
Outside of the United States, the Land Cruiser diesel has been the bestselling version, as in many countries, diesel engines are the go-to. With a smaller engine capacity, the vehicle will be lighter than before, which is expected to further improve its off-road capabilities.
Interestingly, the Land Cruiser 300 is expected to be similar in size, as Toyota already has many other SUV options in its lineup. Nonetheless, it’s anticipated to rule the off-road market as it did in the past.
The new Land Cruiser series will be revealed to the world in 2021, but the latest rumors suggest a hiatus for the vehicle in the US market for another year before making a return sometime in 2022 or 2023.
