Shortly after the official teaser for the return of the Land Cruiser nameplate in the US market confirmed the close ties with the Lexus GX, a new report suggests that the two SUVs won’t be sharing all of their powertrain options. More specifically, the Toyota Land Cruiser will be reportedly offered with just four-cylinder engines, leaving the twin-turbo V6 to its Lexus sibling.
A leaked document reveals a trio of 4-cylinder powertrain options. The first one code-named “1GD-FTV” is the 2.8-liter turbodiesel from the Hilux and the Fortuner. The “TJA250” is believed to be a turbocharged 2.4-liter petrol from the Tacoma and the Kluger, that could be part of a hybrid powertrain. Finally, the “2TR-FE” is referring to a naturally aspirated 2.7-liter petrol, likely destined for entry-level models. Notably, the twin-turbo 3.4-liter petrol of the 2024 Lexus GX is missing from the list. Although this doesn’t mean it couldn’t be added later on, its omission could serve as an extra point of differentiation between the two.
More: Toyota Hilux Will Gain A Mild-Hybrid Diesel Option In 2024
The new Land Cruiser is expected to bear the Prado moniker in markets outside the US. As reported by Drive.com.au, the SUV will be codenamed 250 Series, replacing the aging 150 Series that has been around largely unchanged since 2009. This coincides with the naming strategy of the Land Cruiser 300 Series which served as a successor to the discontinued 200 Series.
Our Australian colleagues also got information about production dates. The European-spec version of the SUV will allegedly enter production in November 2023, ahead of its expected 2024 market launch in the US. Judging from the above information, the reveal of the Land Cruiser Series 250 could happen sometime in the coming months, hopefully answering all of our questions.
