Guess Who's Back -- 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Marks Return of an Iconic Name
Toyota's Land Cruiser is back after three years. And it will have a base price in the mid-$50,000s.
There will be just one powertrain -- an i-Force Max hybrid setup that pairs a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with a 48-horsepower electric motor that's juiced by a 1.87-kWh NiMH battery pack. The electric motor will be integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission. The stated total system power numbers are 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque.
Fuel-economy numbers will be announced at a later date.
A 12.3-inch infotainment screen will get the latest Toyota infotainment system, and a First Edition model that will be limited to 5,000 units will come with rounded LED headlamps that have a retro design, a roof rack, roof rails, two new two-tone paint schemes, special off-road features, and a different interior design.
Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 -- the company's suite of advanced driver-aid systems -- will be standard across the board. The next Land Cruiser will use the TNGA-F platform. Toyota says that the ladder frame will offer more chassis rigidity than the outgoing model.
This new rig will be a tad smaller -- 4.4 inches narrower and 1.2 inches shorter -- than the outgoing model, with the idea that it will be a bit more nimble on the trails.
The Land Cruiser will be built in Japan, in both the Tahara and Hino plants, and it will go on sale in the U.S. in the spring of 2024.
A 1958 trim will also have retro headlights and a retro "Toyota" grille. Other trims will get slim, rectangular headlights. The body will be squared-off, the A-pillar will be pushed back for better versatility, and the front overhang is shortened for better off-road approaches.
The full-time four-wheel-drive system will have a center-locking differential and an available front stabilizer bar disconnect.
Toyota is promising an approach angle of 31.0 degrees and a max departure of 22 degrees, with a breakover angle of 25.0 inches. Ground clearance will be up to 8.7 inches.
Rock rails and skid plates are available, as are fog lamps and front tow hooks.
There will of course be all sorts of electronic trickery that can help drivers off-road, including a Crawl Control system that holds one of five steady speeds while the driver steers, drive modes for varied terrain, and a hill-descent control system.
Other available features include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, heated and cooled seats, JBL audio, wi-fi hotspot, wireless device charging, dual USB-C ports, keyless entry and starting, power tailgate, digital key, head-up display, moonroof, 18-inch wheels, rear locking differential, heated steering wheel, leather seats, and digital rearview mirror.
Towing capacity is expected to be 6,000 pounds.
It appears three trims will be available -- 1958, Land Cruiser, and First Edition.
Safety Sense 3.0 will include a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert with steering assist, radar cruise control, lane-tracing assist, road-sign assist, automatic high beams, and proactive driving assist. Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and hill-start assist will be available.
It was never a secret that the Land Cruiser would return, and now it's official. Let us know what you think below.
[Images: Toyota]
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Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.
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OK, thanks for the examples and info. I read into this thread that the split difference of opinion is based on the reliability of the new LC drivetrain, while under the rated (and significant) 6K lb towing load. No one seems to be arguing that this boosted 2.4 hybrid can not do it. It's a matter of how long it will do it before something breaks. Some are arguing it will tow that rated load fine for the life of the drivetrain, if geared and ventilated well and correctly. Some argue this boosted 2.4 hybrid (or something similar to it, but not really: Boosted ICE only, and somewhat bigger, examples) will be fine for intermittent duty at that load. Some argue that this LC drivetrain is not up to this towing task, at all. That it will fail early if used at all, at the rated load. Some say this new LC is not intended for towing, forgetaboutit, wrong target customer demographic (Off-Road, different use case discussion).
The opinions about the reliability at load are somewhat based on the perceived complexity of the "new" hybrid system. There is this large difference of opinion of perceived drivetrain complexity. That is, it's not all about size (but, yes that matters :) Some argue this LC hybrid is not any more complex that ICE by itself. Parts were removed (ie: tq converter), and different part took their place (M/G and battery). Others argue You Gotta Be Kidding Me, of course it's more complex. Counter argue with I Have Data to prove reliability based on the City Based Taxi Duty. All good stuff here, hopefully accurately summarized.
I'm keeping the "6K Lb Towing Duty" in view from here, as I give my worthless .02 opinion. I begin by writing that this i-Force Max is not the same as that stuffed in to the new upmarket Tundra / Sequoia. This is Not That. But. However. The new hybrid bits like the Power Split Device (PSD) embedded in the Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD). This PSD coupling, which is a clutched planetary gearset, taking the place of the tq converter, is *likely* the same part as the one in the upmarket i-Force hybrid drivetrains. All the 2.4 ICE power has to go through the PSD. Then the transmission. The engine is not the same, thats for sure. The transmission, differentials, and axles? Probably not the same (LC .vs Sequoia / Tundra).
I believe it's disingenuous to say this hybrid drivetrain is of the same or less complexity as an ICE only. I admit I dont know where Toyota will get the drivetrain bits for this LC, either hybrid or the otherwise standard components. The frame is GTG, the 2.4L boosted ICE motor should be OK *For Occasional Duty* if it turns out to be correctly geared and ventilated, *AND* you dont mind it howling in low gear up tall grades, *AND* you dont mind doing it at 15 MPH for however long it takes. The rest of the bits? (trans, diffs, axles, couplings, CV joints etc), well we'll see I guess. Just keep the maintenance service up to schedule.
Not appealing!