Starting in 2025, the large diesel SUV will be offered with 48-volt mild hybrid technology.
The new generation Toyota Land Cruiser will combine the large SUV’s diesel powertrain with 48-volt mild hybrid technology in Europe starting in 2025.
This is one of the upgrades Toyota will offer to keep its 72-year-old nameplate relevant in a segment that has embraced electrification.
In the first half of the year, 65% of medium/large SUVs sold in Europe were electrified (hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery powered), with fully electric models – led by the Volkswagen ID4 – accounting for 44% of this total according to preliminary figures from market researcher Dataforce.
The Land Cruiser ranked 19th in the segment with 4,349 sales in the first half of the year, an 18% increase over the same period last year, well behind the ID4 and other electric vehicles in the segment.
When Toyota opens pre-sales in Europe in October, the Land Cruiser will only be offered with a 201bhp 2.8-litre diesel engine, matching what’s available in the current version. A key update is that the new Land Cruiser will be mated to an eight-speed transmission instead of the six-speed gearbox offered now.
The electrified version with 48-volt mild hybrid technology and the 2.8-liter diesel engine will be available in early 2025.
More off-road performance
Toyota said deliveries of the Land Cruiser will begin in the first half of 2024. European pricing has not been disclosed, however, the current Land Cruiser starts at €52,940 in Germany for the three-door variant with the top five. – door version starting from 81,430 euros.
Toyota says moving the fifth-generation SUV to its GA-F body-on-frame platform, which it shares with the brand’s premium luxury, will improve the Land Cruiser’s off-road performance, while it also took steps to ensure that “easy to handle and more comfortable in conventional driving on the road.”
To achieve this, Toyota made the Land Cruiser’s body and frame 30% stiffer, which increases responsiveness, handling and ride comfort.
“Baseline suspension performance has also been improved, particularly to help provide increased wheel articulation – a key factor in off-road drivability,” the company said in a statement.
Toyota says this will be the first Land Cruiser to use an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system, which will reduce the amount of kickback that can occur when driving over rough surfaces. The system also provides “smoother, more direct steering and easier handling at all speeds,” the company said.
More features
Another feature aimed at improving the SUV’s off-road capability is a new anti-roll bar in front of the disconnect. The technology allows the driver to change the state of the anti-roll bar using a switch on the dashboard. The aim is to improve handling on rough roads and increased comfort and easier handling during normal driving.
Toyota says the new Land Cruiser has a “robust look” that takes the SUV “back to its origins”.
Off-road performance is aided by shorter overhangs, sculpted corners and a narrow underbody, and body parts have been designed to be easily replaced in the event of damage.
The SUV’s interior offers a choice of five- or seven-seat configurations.
Land Cruiser was born on August 1, 1951 under the name Toyota BJ, which became the first vehicle to successfully climb to the sixth station on the slopes of Mount Fuji.
Since its debut, Toyota has sold 11.3 million Land Cruiser vehicles in more than 170 countries and regions. This figure includes the Lexus LX and Lexus GX sister models.
