Update: The “new” version of the Land Cruiser seen here appears to actually be a variant of the vehicle already on offer in other parts of the world, though one unfamiliar to Americans.
There will, eventually, be a new version of the Toyota Land Cruiser. The current J200 generation has been around since 2007, and while it’s still a mighty off-road machine, its age is showing in spite of its two facelifts. Supposedly, the new version will be a marked change from the existing model, switching to a new platform, trading in its naturally-aspirated V8 for a (possibly hybridized) twin-turbo V6 and going a little more downmarket to become a tad more attainable (and to give its Lexus twin some room to cater to the luxury crowd.)
But in spite of our hopes and dreams, in spite of all those rumors flitting around the Internet, it seems we’ll have to wait at least a little longer to see the all-new 300-series Land Cruiser. Because a different-looking version of the existing vehicle was spotted in a Japanese port.
The pictures appeared last week on the Arabian Drive website, which, as you might expect, chronicles vehicular developments concerning the Persian Gulf area. The new version features a grille and headlight assembly very similar to what’s found on the Land Cruiser Heritage Edition, along with a new front fascia featuring a large chrome-rimmed air intake that gives the truck the smiling countenance of a Thomas the Tank Engine character.
Still, there’s a little bit of good news here. The Land Cruiser seen here, according to at least one rumor carried to us via Team-BHP.com, could also serve as basis of one known as the “Final Edition.” (There is precedent; Toyota did the same thing with the FJ Cruiser.) If that’s the case, we should expect the all-new next-gen Land Cruiser to follow for the 2022 model year — which lines up nicely with Australian reports that it would debut in calendar year 2021. We’re kind of hoping that new version’s face doesn’t look much like this grinning version, but guess we’ll have to wait and see.
