2024 GX/Prado Release and Discussion (8 Viewers)

[TexasFunRunner]

Just yesterday in another thread I said that to me the LC is about quality, craftsmanship, comfort, capability, and reliability. Comfort can be subjective depending on the generation but the 100 and 200 series definitely checked that box as they moved up market. As for reliability, pretty much any Toyota has a reputation for being reliable.

So that leaves the last 3 traits which IMO are the pillars of the Land Cruiser. Quality, craftsmanship, and capability. It’s Toyota’s Halo vehicle and I hope the new one we are getting here in the states is treated as such. If it turns out to be this Wrangler/Bronco fighter then by god make it then best damn option in the 4x4 segment. Don’t skimp on anything. No compromises and no BS.

I've heard the new Land Cruiser is targeted at the Wrangler Rubicon and Bronco Badlands level trims and that Toyota only expects to sell about one Land Cruiser for every three 4Runners.

Compared to the below annual 4Runner sales, that would mean they expect to sell 40,000 to 50,000 per year. It seems like they may be underestimating the market.

Toyota 4Runner Sales Figures

Automotive Sales Data and Statistics

www.goodcarbadcar.net

 

[TexasFunRunner]

Looking closer at 4Runner sales and comparing it to the FJ Cruiser sales, it is interesting to see how they compared.

Toyota 4Runner Sales Figures

Automotive Sales Data and Statistics

www.goodcarbadcar.net

Toyota FJ Cruiser Sales Figures

Automotive Sales Data and Statistics

www.goodcarbadcar.net

 

[TexasFunRunner]

Lexus has dropped another GX teaser and a link to the youtube reveal.

GXandTX - https://www.lexus.com/GXandTX?cid=OSM_FB_RE&fbclid=IwAR3zuFwwQcAjQ5kITObG2t1l6jlf1UXUyEbNfcD0xTTTFDzFg7x9dIAHZOM

 

[flyfish4life]

Lexus has dropped another GX teaser and a link to the youtube reveal.

GXandTX - https://www.lexus.com/GXandTX?cid=OSM_FB_RE&fbclid=IwAR3zuFwwQcAjQ5kITObG2t1l6jlf1UXUyEbNfcD0xTTTFDzFg7x9dIAHZOM

Definitely has some 80 series vibes to me.

 

[Bighead]

Lexus has dropped another GX teaser and a link to the youtube reveal.

GXandTX - https://www.lexus.com/GXandTX?cid=OSM_FB_RE&fbclid=IwAR3zuFwwQcAjQ5kITObG2t1l6jlf1UXUyEbNfcD0xTTTFDzFg7x9dIAHZOM

Interesting. Looking forward to the reveal.

 

[jayp2]

Looking closer at 4Runner sales and comparing it to the FJ Cruiser sales, it is interesting to see how they compared.

View attachment 3341874

Toyota 4Runner Sales Figures

Automotive Sales Data and Statistics

www.goodcarbadcar.net

Toyota FJ Cruiser Sales Figures

Automotive Sales Data and Statistics

www.goodcarbadcar.net

Cool site, wish they went back to the 80's/90's so we had 60 series data too.

I remember looking at the FJ when it first came out and wrote it off after a single test drive because the visibility to the right and rear quadrants was non existent....like the windows may as well not even been installed it was so bad.

Never considered the vehicle again.

Its too bad and I remember thinking "Who the f^&$ signed off on this design".....I know the vehicle was capable but the visibility issues were SOOOO bad I'm surprised it sold as many as it did.....especially in comparison to the 4runner that is wide open with good visibility

Found the older sales figures

Toyota Land Cruiser Sales Figures

Automotive Sales Data and Statistics

carsalesbase.com

Looks like sales plummeted after 2000

Looks like they were selling three times the number of FJ40's annually throughout the 1970's as they were selling modern landcruisers from 2010-20

 

[Jetboy]

I remember looking at the FJ when it first came out and wrote it off after a single test drive because the visibility to the right and rear quadrants was non existent....like the windows may as well not even been installed it was so bad.

Never considered the vehicle again.

Its too bad and I remember thinking "Who the f^&$ signed off on this design".....I know the vehicle was capable but the visibility issues were SOOOO bad I'm surprised it sold as many as it did.....especially in comparison to the 4runner that is wide open with good visibility

I thought the same thing. Side by side with a 4Runner, it was a pretty easy choice to buy the 4Runner for the extra room, better visibility, and the full rear doors etc. I don't dislike the FJ Cruiser, but I just think the 4Runner is a better version of the same thing and it was close to the same price. This case might be the reverse where a new Land Cruiser has better visibility and is more optimized for interior volume and functionality. In that case I could see it selling as well or better. Some recent rumors suggest pricing may be the same or nearly same as the 4Runner.

 

[jayp2]

I thought the same thing. Side by side with a 4Runner, it was a pretty easy choice to buy the 4Runner for the extra room, better visibility, and the full rear doors etc. I don't dislike the FJ Cruiser, but I just think the 4Runner is a better version of the same thing and it was close to the same price. This case might be the reverse where a new Land Cruiser has better visibility and is more optimized for interior volume and functionality. In that case I could see it selling as well or better. Some recent rumors suggest pricing may be the same or nearly same as the 4Runner.

It would be really cool to see them offer it as a special edition/enthusiast vehicle sort of like what they are doing with GR Corrolla

Dont load it up like a lexus living room....offer a sensible supportable 4x4 with 33's for starters and gearing/fender spacing to support 35's without hassles

either make lockers front and rear standard or offer it as an upgrade

And it has to be offered with a MT

Minimize the complexity and electronics and actually make this a supportable off road vehicle in the spirit of previous land cruisers

EDIT......if they offer it with a turbo diesel that puts out 250 ish HP and proportionate torque for diesel then people will be fighting over it.....

Wouldnt be hard to do....IIRC Nissan offered a pickup for a while with a cummins diesel and dodge has 6.7 cummins offerings/sells a crap ton of them so its certainly doable.......doesnt need a 6.7 but there are options and proven emmissions to make it possible with minimal effort

 

[TexasFunRunner]

It would be really cool to see them offer it as a special edition/enthusiast vehicle sort of like what they are doing with GR Corrolla

Dont load it up like a lexus living room....offer a sensible supportable 4x4 with 33's for starters and gearing/fender spacing to support 35's without hassles

either make lockers front and rear standard or offer it as an upgrade

And it has to be offered with a MT

Minimize the complexity and electronics and actually make this a supportable off road vehicle in the spirit of previous land cruisers

EDIT......if they offer it with a turbo diesel that puts out 250 ish HP and proportionate torque for diesel then people will be fighting over it.....

Wouldnt be hard to do....IIRC Nissan offered a pickup for a while with a cummins diesel and dodge has 6.7 cummins offerings/sells a crap ton of them so its certainly doable.......doesnt need a 6.7 but there are options and proven emmissions to make it possible with minimal effort

You may not get everything on your wishlist, but if you take the new GX and marry it with a 70 series, you get the new 2024 Land Cruiser.

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser (GX & Retro FJ influenced, for USA & Canada, Bronco, Jeep, Defender Rival)​

Reveal: Fall 2023/Winter 2024 (expect a 6-8 week teaser campaign ahead of the date)​

Launch: Spring 2024​

Engines: Alleged TTV6 or i-Force MAX 2.4T​

 

[ThRiLlGmYr]

Not really sure the value of philosophical question of what does it mean to be a Land Cruiser as none of us gets to define that.

As the person BUYING the truck my definition of what a Land Cruiser is actually all that matters to me. If Toyota sticks it on something that consumers don't agree with they simply won't buy it. So that is the value of the question. If Toyota sticks "Land Cruiser" on a RAV4 are you going to buy it? That is the point of the question.

 

[Jetboy]

Look closely at that windshield to roof connection. Especially between the red arrows along that joint. It's not normal. Something wonky is going on there. It's not the smooth seem like every other current Toyota and Lexus SUV has at the top of the glass. Top comes off? Or a panel that is removeable?

 

[TexasFunRunner]

Look closely at that windshield to roof connection. Especially between the red arrows along that joint. It's not normal. Something wonky is going on there. It's not the smooth seem like every other current Toyota and Lexus SUV has at the top of the glass. Top comes off? Or a panel that is removeable?

View attachment 3342276

Looks potentially like the same type of light bar mounting pads as the Bronco.

Extremeterrain-com Expedition One 42-Inch Light Bar Mount (21-23 Bronco)

 

[TexasFunRunner]

Look closely at that windshield to roof connection. Especially between the red arrows along that joint. It's not normal. Something wonky is going on there. It's not the smooth seem like every other current Toyota and Lexus SUV has at the top of the glass. Top comes off? Or a panel that is removeable?

View attachment 3342276

Looks potentially like the same type of light bar mounting pads as the Bronco.

Extremeterrain-com Expedition One 42-Inch Light Bar Mount (21-23 Bronco)

 

[jayp2]

Look closely at that windshield to roof connection. Especially between the red arrows along that joint. It's not normal. Something wonky is going on there. It's not the smooth seem like every other current Toyota and Lexus SUV has at the top of the glass. Top comes off? Or a panel that is removeable?

View attachment 3342276

Looks like a flat 70 style windshield

 

[Jetboy]

Looks potentially like the same type of light bar mounting pads as the Bronco.

Extremeterrain-com Expedition One 42-Inch Light Bar Mount (21-23 Bronco)

View attachment 3342313

It's not just the roof rack mounting trim strip, but the whole windshield to roof joint all the way across is a different joint type than normal. The roof appears to overhang the window slightly and has a rounded profile rather than a normal metal seam that matches to the glass.

 

[UZJ100LC]

Look closely at that windshield to roof connection. Especially between the red arrows along that joint. It's not normal. Something wonky is going on there. It's not the smooth seem like every other current Toyota and Lexus SUV has at the top of the glass. Top comes off? Or a panel that is removeable?

View attachment 3342276

looks like the roof rail moldings to me
my 100 series has that too

 

[Jetboy]

Maybe my arrows are more distracting than they should be. Or maybe I'm totally off my rocker here. But to me it looks like the bright green arrows show a seem in the roof panel that is where you'd have reinforced edges on a composite panel. And the entire transition along the joint between the orange arrows looks crude - not like a smooth transition you see on other vehicles. Even the LC76 has a smooth transition there. It may just be an odd way that the light or photo edit shows it. But it doesn't look very "lexus" like. Unless it's something else like a composite roof or something.

 

[TexasFunRunner]

Maybe my arrows are more distracting than they should be. Or maybe I'm totally off my rocker here. But to me it looks like the bright green arrows show a seem in the roof panel that is where you'd have reinforced edges on a composite panel. And the entire transition along the joint between the orange arrows looks crude - not like a smooth transition you see on other vehicles. Even the LC76 has a smooth transition there. It may just be an odd way that the light or photo edit shows it. But it doesn't look very "lexus" like. Unless it's something else like a composite roof or something.

View attachment 3342366

My guess, it's a forward trim piece, in front of what appears to be a sunroof split line.

Otherwise, we have two more days of chasing ink blots. I tried figuring out the lower bumper area and all I got were enhanced water drops. It looked like this.

 

[Coupedncal]

We can pretty much take this to the bank the GX is a traditional hardtop box on wheels. I am truly hoping the LC on the other hand comes out with a removal top. And with a manual transmission.

 

[Brown98LC]

You can definitely see the older generation Prado heritage.