Retro-look Toyota Land Cruiser comes to Ireland next year

Toyota Ireland has confirmed that the new Land Cruiser, styled to look rather like its 1970s and 1980s progenitors, will arrive on sale here in the first half of 2024.

The new Land Cruiser — technically known as the J250 model if you’re keeping count of Toyo’s product codes — continues with the hefty separate chassis and body construction of previous models, instead of moving to a more modern monocoque construction as has its most significant rival, the Land Rover Defender.

Toyota says that the retention of the old body-on-frame construction is to maximise the Land Cruiser’s off-road ability and strength — traits for which previous versions have been justifiably legendary. The new body and chassis are said to be 30 per cent stiffer, and Toyota claims that: “the new model is easy to manoeuvre and more comfortable in conventional on-road driving.”

Part of making the new Land Cruiser more pleasant to drive on-road is a new electric power steering setup — the first for a Land Cruiser model — which means that the steering can be made more direct and sharper in feel on tarmac, while still reducing unwanted kickback when off-roaring.

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There’s more clever tech in the suspension, which now comes with a Stabiliser with Disconnection Mechanism — this is an anti-roll bar which stops the Land Cruiser flopping over in corners, but which at the flick of a switch can be disconnected when off-reading to ensure maximum freedom of movement for the wheels.

There’s also an electronic Multi-Terrain Select, which works rather like Land Rover’s Terrain Select, and which automatically sets the car up for different surfaces such as mud, rocks, sand, or snow. If this all sounds like needlessly rugged frippery, then it’s worth remembering that the Land Cruiser isn’t — nor ever has been — a school-run special SUV, it’s a true rugged workhorse and is used around the world to get to, and get back out of, some of the most inhospitable terrain and environments.

The big news, though, is the styling. Gone is the toothy grille and gently curved look of the current model, and in comes unashamedly retro design which clearly references the styling of classic Land Cruiser models. In fact, you’ll actually be able to choose which classic Land Cruiser you’d like to reference as there will be a choice of round headlight versions (which look like a cross between a seventies FJ40 and an eighties FJ60/70) or a square headlight look which draws on the eighties FJ80.

It’s a substantial vehicle — 163mm longer than the Land Rover Defender 110. Like the Land Rover, it’ll be offered in five or seven-seat versions.

Inside, the cabin is bang up to date with twin digital screens, but thankfully — and in keeping with Land Cruiser traditions — there are still proper, physical switches for major functions. Big? Chunky ones too…

Power, at least initially, will come from the same 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine as you’ll find in the current HiLux pickup, providing 204hp. An eight-speed automatic gearbox will be standard. In 2025, we will at long last see the first hybrid-engined Land Cruiser, although this will be a mere mild-hybrid, and not one of Toyota’s hugely successful parallel hybrids. Oddly, that’s exactly the engine option that Toyota is offering in the US market, which will be one of the biggest takers of the new Land Cruiser. There, buyers will be a able to pick a 326hp 2.4-litre hybrid option, with a chunky 630Nm of torque. Will that engine come to Europe? Watch this space…

What follows after that? Doubtless, there will be commercial versions, but Toyota hasn’t yet confirmed if there will be a short-wheelbase three-door model as yet. A fully-electric version? Don’t hold your breath — although Toyota has shown a concept of a large, rugged electric pickup so there’s at least some thought being put in that direction.

The new Land Cruiser won’t have it all its own way when it arrives next year. The Land Rover Defender is already selling strongly, and now there’s the new INEOS Grenadier with which to reckon. By 2024 we’ll also be closer to the on-sale date for Jeep’s long-range all-electric Recon, and Mercedes is about to launch an electric EQG; a battery-powered version of the G-Class. In spite of all headwinds, it seems that big, square 4x4s haven’t gone out of fashion yet.

And, incidentally, the new Land Cruiser was not the only Land Cruiser being launched this week. Astonishingly, the old early-eighties FJ70 model has stayed in production all these years, and is being given a series of small updates for 2024. It now gets the same 2.8-litre diesel engine as the new model (you can get a 4.5 petrol V8 too…) , plus some detail upgrades to the interior and exterior styling. The FJ70 has been kept on sale in markets such as South America and Australia, where its simplicity, toughness, and back-street-mechanic-friendliness keeps it relevant. The updated FJ70 won’t be coming to Europe nor Ireland, but we suppose you could always import one from Australia…