2024 GX/Prado Release and Discussion (8 Viewers)

[OSS]

There is definitely an allure to the Land Cruiser name that elevates a vehicle that wears that badge to mystical proportions.
A long time ago, I was in Cape Town, South Africa and I was passing by a Toyota dealership. They had a new 70 series pickup truck on display and I took a really close look at it.
At the time, my vehicle back in the USA was a FJ60, so I was already a fan of land cruisers.

I got to say that I fell in LOVE with that bakkie (South African slang for pickup utility truck).
Everything about it was soooo cool. It is really a fantastic vehicle. Super simple, yet extremely robust — and a mythical Land Cruiser.

I wanted to marry a South African girl just so I could live there, buy a Land Cruiser bakkie and take overland camping vacations in Namibia!

 

[Zill]

If they can figure out how to get the 70 series safety ratings to meet US regulations and emissions to meet CAFE standards, I think that option makes the most amount of sense to distinguish itself in the lineup. A true off-roader would sell like hot cakes and would compete in the Wrangler and Bronco market, rather than the Prado which has been hit with the ugly stick.

One can wish…

 

[TheRealDeal124]

I for one will just wait two years for the 105 to come ashore. That's something I'll be very interested in. I only have one Land Cruiser which is never enough. Maybe that's what they're talking about all along!

 

[Devils Paw 80]

If they can figure out how to get the 70 series safety ratings to meet US regulations and emissions to meet CAFE standards, I think that option makes the most amount of sense to distinguish itself in the lineup. A true off-roader would sell like hot cakes and would compete in the Wrangler and Bronco market, rather than the Prado which has been hit with the ugly stick.

One can wish…

With the GR V-6 option it would satisfy emissions. Don't know about the safety issues. Another problem is that they're on backorder to 2026 worldwide. The 76 also is reputed to sell for more used than new!

"Super simple yet extremely robust", Yes that's the ticket. Also not so large. I'd like to see Lexus and Land Cruiser diverge, with no more enormous, complex luxury vehicles manufactured and sold under the latter nameplate.

 

[Coupedncal]

My take is there is not enough gap between a 4R and a Sequoia to slide in an LC new model. LC would either be a sub-model of 4R or an entirely new model under the 4R that competes with Wrangler/Bronco. Sort of like a rebirth of FJ Cruiser. I don't know why Toyota is not bringing back the FJ40 to directly compete against the Wrangler. Why beat about the bush when you can fight the beast head-on?

 

[Jurwin]

A 2.4 inline 4 cylinder turbo hybrid. In a Land Cruiser. Is this possible? Sounds like a turd but if you look at the RX 500H already released, this is possible....
366HP/ 406 torque combined. Assuming they would bump this up in a nearly estimated 500lb heavier SUV. A really interesting twist is a separate rear driven E-axle. No more transfer case? They were pitching this direct 4 concept back in 2020. Not a lot of detail on this out there right now.

LEXUS REVEALS DIRECT4 NEXT-GENERATION ELECTRIC DRIVE CONTROL TECHNOLOGY - Lexus USA Newsroom

Last year as part of its new global electrification strategy, Lexus debuted the futuristic LF-30 concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show, which thrilled attendees with its visionary design and imaginative technologies. The new strategy, called ‘Lexus Electrified’, targets a […]

pressroom.lexus.com

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The 150-series Prado is mostly offered with a 4 cylinder engine. I can tell you it's not a turd.

 

[on the rocks]

he 150-series Prado is mostly offered with a 4 cylinder engine. I can tell you it's not a turd.

The turd reference was directed to the protentional 2.4 they are pitching for the 4R and highlander. I already have a 215hp/ 275ft-lb brick in my 80, which I'm fine with but if I'm forced into a vehicle with no solid axle I would take to the hills and use for around town for that matter, I would hope for a little zip, or a lot honestly...

If your talking the 2.8 diesel IF they would even bring to the states, if may get a little attention @ 201 hp & 590ftlbs
The 2.4 petro they have coming in the highlander and pitching for the 2025 4R @ 265hp 309 ft-lbs , not so much.....
Now pair either with the Direct4 rear axle and now were talking... I have searched quite a bit and have yet to see them mention this being used on a solid rear axle.

They should have bumped the LX HP over the sequoia but anything less released in the Land Cruiser than near HP/ TQ numbers to the Sequoya would be disappointing.

 

[FJ73Texas]

There just isn't enough production capacity in Japan to bring the 70 series to the US also. Another Japanese plant would have to pick up the slack or they would have to be produced here in the US which isn't going to happen.

 

[CBeckFJ]

I for one will just wait two years for the 105 to come ashore. That's something I'll be very interested in. I only have one Land Cruiser which is never enough. Maybe that's what they're talking about all along!

105's are importable as of 1/1/23

 

[Washingtontaco]

Currently the Toyota Fortuner is slotted below the Land Cruiser Prado, and the Prado below the Land Cruiser 300 everywhere else is the world. Toyota could easily put the 4Runner below the Prado and the Prado below the Sequoia as the large Toyota SUV.

Lexus will simply have the GX 550 and the LX 600.

We will never in a our life times get any variant of the 70 series.

 

[cruiserdan]

105's are importable as of 1/1/23

As long as the build date of the vehicle is at least 25 years old.

 

[OSS]

We will never in a our life times get any variant of the 70 series.

Well not exactly true.
Thing is - we already did.
The LC76 is essentially the FJ60 stuck in a time warp.
Want a LC76? Buy a FJ60. They’re virtually identical (though one is a lot older).

 

[Washingtontaco]

Well not exactly true.
Thing is - we already did.
The LC76 is essentially the FJ60 stuck in a time warp.
Want a LC76? Buy a FJ60. They’re virtually identical (though one is a lot older).

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Well I'm speaking of new, not old L/C variants.

 

[stridertexas]

I’m going to guess that the Prado will be $65-80k and compete against the Defender that’s doing really well.

The GX will be considered a “Prado luxo lite” version with less off road features/capabilities.

While the Prado will have really nice seats (as typical LC), crawl control, ACH, and other off road features.

sign me up for any Cruiser that’s Prado or bigger.

 

[Jetboy]

For me - I'd have to drive a new LC70 wagon in the USA to really know if I'd actually want one. I haven't driven one in about 8 years, and that was almost entirely on rough dirt roads at lower speeds where a 100hp diesel is perfectly adequate, and it was about a 1990ish version with 600,000km on the clock. I've also put a lot of miles in 80 series, but it's been about 20 years since driving a stock 80 series to compare. So I just don't remember well enough to know. I don't think either had particularly good road manners by today's standards. I love the idea of the solid axle 7X, but as a daily driver - I just don't know. I'd have to drive a modern one in the USA to see.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Well not exactly true.
Thing is - we already did.
The LC76 is essentially the FJ60 stuck in a time warp.
Want a LC76? Buy a FJ60. They’re virtually identical (though one is a lot older).

View attachment 3193056View attachment 3193057

I’m not convinced that the 76 Series owners would agree with your observation.

 

[UZJ100LC]

For me - I'd have to drive a new LC70 wagon in the USA to really know if I'd actually want one. I haven't driven one in about 8 years, and that was almost entirely on rough dirt roads at lower speeds where a 100hp diesel is perfectly adequate, and it was about a 1990ish version with 600,000km on the clock. I've also put a lot of miles in 80 series, but it's been about 20 years since driving a stock 80 series to compare. So I just don't remember well enough to know. I don't think either had particularly good road manners by today's standards. I love the idea of the solid axle 7X, but as a daily driver - I just don't know. I'd have to drive a modern one in the USA to see.

sounds like you’d be better off with the 4Runner in this scenario

 

[Jetboy]

sounds like you’d be better off with the 4Runner in this scenario

I don't really know. I'd just need to drive one for a bit on American roads and see what it's like at 80mph and around town. I tend to think most people in north America are more likely to prefer the IFS, or at least all the manufacturers think so, and that's why we won't see SFA vehicles offered. TBH I don't think most Americans could tell the difference between a well setup IFS vs SFA in blind testing with an SUV like this in most cases. My last F250 has a very similar suspension design and it was okay to drive. I think better than the lifted 4Runner for long highway miles.*

*When the F250 didn't break down.

The only use cases where a solid front axe would be a clear advantage is something pretty specific like plowing snow, or hauling really heavy loads. The ifs doesn't carry weight up front as well. I had plows on my fj40 and 3rd and 5th gen 4runners among other non Toyotas. But I'm not sure how many American land cruiser buyers would use them as work trucks.

 

[AsiaLandCruiser]

Im not really hyped at all with the Landcruiser Prado coming to America unless it comes with a splitting tailgate, but I would imagine it will not as the new LC around the world does not.
If Toyota did such a thing, so many new LC 300 people would be so pissed off.

 

[Jetboy]

From a pretty reliable source: the new American land cruiser and GX are the same vehicle but diverge significantly from the softer styled Prado in terms of going more boxy than a 4runner and more off-road focused than the lc300 or the 4runner/Prado twins. A tnga-f platform Japanese G wagon for North America. That's the latest rumors I've read from a pretty reliable source historically.

It's a shared platform between all the body on frame models so saying it's a Prado or lc300 based vehicle is really the same thing. The difference being the STD duty or hd drivetrain and whatever body they fit on top. I'm not sure I see a great market here, but potentially there's room for a USA market SUV that goes further towards the off-road side. And looks like a lc70. Supposedly that's what it'll be. Starting around $50k and topping out about $75-80 where the GX will start. And the land cruiser will be a turbo 4cyl hybrid, and the GX gets the ttv6.