After a three-year hiatus, the highly anticipated 2024 Land Cruiser is making its triumphant return to the US market, boasting a plethora of cutting-edge features and improved capabilities. This latest iteration of the Land Cruiser is designed, engineered, and tested to conquer the harshest environments, so say Toyota USA, and the Land Cruiser will be available in three grades: Land Cruiser 1958, Land Cruiser, and the limited-run Land Cruiser First Edition (limited to 5,000 units for the first two months). Last week we asked if the new Toyota Land Cruiser would be the vehicle we wanted it to be and asked how practical, affordable, and adaptable it would be for us overlanders. Let’s take a closer look at this new offering and try to answer those three fundamental questions.
The 2024 Land Cruiser is built on the TNGA-F (Toyota New Global Architecture) global truck platform, the same platform on which the Land Cruiser J300, Land Cruiser Prado, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra, Lexus and Lexus LX are built. Toyota developed these platforms as part of a company-wide effort to simplify production and to reduce costs. The state-of-the-art TNGA-F body-on-ladder frame platform provides enhanced rigidity through the use of high-strength steel with blanking and laser welds. Compared to the outgoing 200 Series, the new Land Cruiser is slightly smaller and narrower, measuring 4.4 inches narrower and 1.2 inches shorter, adding to its off-road prowess. A shared platform is undoubtedly a strength, not a weakness.
Dave Christ, Toyota Group Vice President and General Manager, said,
“This icon belongs in our lineup. For 2024, Land Cruiser returns to its origin with a heritage-inspired design paired with the legendary capability and durability Land Cruiser is known for, and it will take even more customers on adventures across the globe as it has done for generations.”
Under the hood, the 2024 Land Cruiser exclusively offers the range-topping i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain, which combines a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a 48-horsepower electric motor integrated into an eight-speed automatic transmission. This setup produces an impressive 326 horsepower and 465 pound-foot of torque, ensuring exceptional performance on and off the trails. The i-FORCE MAX is the same powertrain offered with the third-generation Toyota Tundra and has proven to be a reliable and economical engine with a mixed-used fuel consumption of 22 mpg, ensuring that the Land Cruiser will offer excellent range. There are some who would have preferred a gasoline V6 or V8 powertrain option mated to a manual transmission, but we would argue the range of hybrid engines is a significant selling point.
The Land Cruiser will come equipped with a newly designed double-wishbone front suspension, complemented by twin-tube shocks, and a multi-link rear suspension with coil springs. Electric power steering has been integrated to enhance steering responsiveness and accommodate various safety and convenience enhancements. All models will feature 17-inch front and rear disc brakes and a standard trailer hitch, enabling the Land Cruiser to tow loads of up to 6,000 pounds, sufficient to tow your off-road trailer.
All Land Cruiser models come equipped with a full-time four-wheel drive system featuring a center locking differential and an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case with high/low range. Additionally, the vehicle stability control (VSC) and an automatic limited-slip differential (Auto LSD) enhance its traction control on rough terrain. The Land Cruiser’s off-road capabilities are further bolstered with features like Multi-Terrain Select, CRAWL Control function, and Downhill Assist Control, standard on all models. Furthermore, an available Front Stabilizer Bar Disconnect (standard on Land Cruiser and First Edition grades) increases flexibility at the push of a button, ensuring seamless navigation through rugged landscapes. The approach angle is 31 degrees, complemented by a maximum departure angle of 22 degrees, while the breakover angle is 25 degrees. The vehicle also offers ground clearance of up to 8.7 inches. For additional off-road protection, customers have the option to equip rock rails and full-coverage, high-strength steel skid plates. Front tow/recovery hooks come as standard.
On paper, the Land Cruiser seems more than capable of taking on the harsh terrain that overlanders regularly encounter. A front-locking differential would have been a welcome addition to the 4WD system, but we are confident that the various driver aids will ensure that the Land Cruiser will live up to its reputation as an off-road machine.
Toyota also offers a range of accessories through the Toyota Genuine Accessories and Associated Accessory Products (AAP) ecosystem, allowing customers to customize their Land Cruisers according to their preferences and requirements. The AAP ecosystem is an ever-evolving platform comprising a diverse range of over 100 accessories. These accessories include off-road recovery gear, rack attachment brackets for storage gear, outdoor sporting equipment carriers, and others. New Land Cruiser owners will have the option to include these products in their monthly payments.
Inside the Land Cruiser’s cabin, Toyota has integrated the latest Audio Multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, supported by an 8.0-inch touchscreen. The Land Cruiser grade takes it a step further with available 4G connectivity for up to five devices, turning the vehicle into an AT&T hotspot. Safety remains paramount, as all 2024 Land Cruiser models include Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, a suite of advanced active safety and convenience systems. The gizmos and gadgets are too extensive to mention; rest assured, this is a modern vehicle boasting all the modern mod-cons.
The 2024 Land Cruiser will be manufactured at Toyota Motor Corporation’s Tahara and Hino plants in Japan and is set to arrive in the US in the spring of 2024. While the manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing will start in the mid-$50,000 range, Toyota will release specific pricing details closer to the on-sale date.
In summary, if you wanted the new Land Cruiser to be more 70 Series and less Prado, that ship has sailed. But, with a promised mid-$50,000 price range, this vehicle is well placed within the market and a lot more affordable than we expected, should Toyota dealers honor the MSRP. That affordability alone makes this a highly desirable vehicle, and we have to admit that we are excited to see this Land Cruiser out on the trails and far from civilization. With the powerful and economical hybrid engine combined with respectable offroad DNA and a towing capacity of 6,000 pounds, we expect that this vehicle will commonly be paired with a rooftop tent or an offroad trailer to add practicality for long-distance overland travel. There has been a fair amount of comment online about the hybrid motor not being serviceable in the field. We might be forgetting one important fact, and that is that this is a vehicle built and tested by Toyota, and the Toyota Motor Corporation earned the most JD Power model-level awards for dependability in 2023, and a company which has built it’s reputation on legendary reliability; a well-maintained vehicle should be more than up to the task of taking you and your loved ones to Gualeguaychú (Argentina), and back. Do we love the new Land Cruiser? It is too early to say for certain, but we do have a bit of a crush.
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