Toyota Land Cruiser For The US Could Be A Prado With Retro Styling

June 30, 2023 / By Zunair Tahir / Automotive News

It Will Be Influenced By The 1960s And 1970s Land Cruiser Generations

The Toyota Land Cruiser was terminated in the United States after the 2021 model year, but the Japanese automaker reportedly revealed the SUV will return later this year.

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The new LC for America will not be the LC300, which has been offered in Europe and other parts of the world for a few years, but rather a distinct product with a greater emphasis on off-road capabilities. According to a recent claim, Toyota may potentially introduce the new Land Cruiser Prado to the US market.

According to Drive in Australia, the company’s new Land Cruiser for America would target the more hardcore off-road category.

As a result, it intends to offer it in limited quantities and with classic style influenced by Land Cruisers from the 1960s and 1970s. Indeed, it appears that the new Land Cruiser for the US market will be a revised and more cheap version of the 2017 Lexus GX with its boxy shape.

Needless to mention, the vehicle will be built on a body-on-frame chassis that will accommodate electrification.

The worldwide Prado and the US model will share just the side profile, with the front and rear end style being distinct to the newer vehicle. Naturally, the new Land Cruiser for America will be less expensive than its more premium Lexus-badged sibling.

Nothing is official yet in terms of engines, but rumour on the street is that power will come from a turbocharged 2.4-liter hybrid powerplant, which might also be offered for the new GX.

This electrified mill produces 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque in the 2017 Toyota Tacoma, and similar numbers might be expected for the new LC.

As previously stated, Toyota intends to offer the new Land Cruiser in the United States as a niche product, with substantially lower sales statistics than, say, the 4Runner.

The new SUV will allegedly come in two trim levels, with the flagship model boasting TRD Pro-inspired off-road enhancements.

Finally, Toyota hinted about a new Land Cruiser for the European market. Nothing is official at this time, but we believe Toyota will send the new and more robust Prado to the Old Continent, where the Land Cruiser name is still used.