Now that the Toyota Land Cruiser has been confirmed for a return to the U.S. market, the question is what will it look like? In its announcement, Toyota tantalizingly teased some classic Land Cruiser badges with deliciously old-school fonts. A new report from Australia indicates there could be a reason for that.
According to Drive, the U.S.-market Land Cruiser will receive throwback design cues that reach delve deep into the model’s heritage. Inspiration reportedly comes from the legendary FJ40 built from 1960 to 1984, as well as the wildly popular 70-series that was never sold in America.
The report specifically calls out round headlights, a flourish that will apparently not make it to other markets around the world where Land Cruisers have traditionally sold well. It goes on to say that the Land Cruiser will be positioned as a more hard-core off-roader to be sold in low volumes instead of a high-end luxury SUV.
The U.S. market Land Cruiser will not be based on the 300-series Land Cruiser available in the rest of the world. What we’re getting is a version of the Land Cruiser Prado, which underpins the Lexus GX. The Prado is sold internationally alongside the upscale 300-series Land Cruiser, but as a more utilitarian 4×4. Markets like Australia, where the 70-series continues to be sold new despite its introduction in 1985 — a nearly 40-year lifespan — are reportedly getting the Prado with a more modern look.
Toyota might be taking a page from the playbook of the FJ Cruiser, the retro-styled SUV based on the 4Runner. Introduced in 2007, it was immensely popular and still commands eye-watering prices in the used car market. Arguably, it has only become more popular since its discontinuation. Its throwback styling was part of its appeal, and Toyota has probably been kicking itself for canceling it in 2014 just as overlanding was taking off.
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