The first week of July brought us another preview of the upcoming Toyota Land Cruiser for the American market. For those of you who haven’t heard the news already, the Japanese firm will resurrect the legendary off-roader in the United States with a new generation that is most likely going to be introduced as a 2025 model. Nothing is officially confirmed yet, but the SUV is supposedly going to be all but identical to the new Land Cruiser Prado for the European continent – and this is what it could look like.
The latest teaser images with the new Land Cruiser Prado – or just the new Land Cruiser in the US (but different from the global market Land Cruiser that debuted in 2021) – previewed a large boxy SUV with short overhangs and retro touches. The overall profile strongly reminds us of the new Lexus GX but there are some specific Toyota touches, like the radiator grille and the LED signature at the front. The new LC also lacks the stylish roof spoiler of its more stylish sibling with a Lexus badge but this isn’t necessarily a bad design solution.
If you like what you see, we have more good news. Toyota is expected to move the Land Cruiser slightly downmarket leaving more room for the Lexus GX in the lineup. While there are no pricing details for the 2025 LC, we believe it will be more affordable than the outgoing model, which was discontinued after the 2021 model year. As a reminder, the 2021 Land Cruiser retailed for well over $85,000. Its more back-to-basics successor could start at around $60,000 but, again, nothing is official yet.
It’s also worth mentioning that a recent report indicated Toyota has plans to sell the new Land Cruiser in the US as some kind of a niche product. The powertrain could be shared with the new Tacoma, meaning a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine should be under the hood. Two trim levels are reportedly going to be sold on the US market with the more expensive one featuring TRD Pro-inspired off-road upgrades.
