The Return of the Land Cruiser?

Not a bad idea. Use that old rig for fun and take the other $25K and buy a new commuter car.

 

Regarding TNGA-F, with every new release, I’m starting to sense that Toyota developed the new platform to move all of their bof trucks to, but at the last minute realized that it needed to accommodate hybrid/battery.

if you look at the packaging flaws on Sequoia, and now that really odd lift-over shelf on the new LC, they’re clearly struggling for ideas to make it all fit.

 

I agree. They should have designed a frame the battery pack could sit in between.

 

For all those saying the new LC is the size of the Bronco sport, its not...it is a lot closer to the full size Bronco, and just for fun throw in the Sequoia.

Bronco Sport
173’L
74” W
70-71” H
105.1 Wheelbase

LC250
193.7 L
77.9 W
75.5 H
112.2 wheelbase

Bronco
174-199 L (2dr or 4 dr)
76-86 W
72-79 H
104-116 wheelbase (2dr/4dr)

Sequoia
208 L
80W
74-78 H
122 Wheelbase

 

At least the new Land Cruiser isn’t as bad as the Sequoia, no 3rd row helps. I could live the the LC.

Easy solution is a swing out spare, and drop the battery pack lower in the frame. Swingout probably doesn’t bode well with the new totally helpless culture that need power lift gates.

 

At some point the accountants stepped in. Toyota keeps the battery in the cab in all models so it sees less temperature extremes. They're probably still using a bulky NiMH pack too (like the Tundra) to save money.

 

That's not the only reason they use NiMH. Reliable battery chemistry since the 1997 prius.

 

Reliability is an excuse here, same excuse Toyota used to justify drum brakes in the Tacoma. Meanwhile the Prius Prime has used lithium ion battery pack since 2012.

 

Toyota will be phasing in Solid State packs soon also.

 

Yep, all roads lead back to the accounting dept, eventually.TNGA-F is as much an exercise in increasing margins as it is modernizing the last ICE/hybrid truck platform. Look closely, and the LC interior appears to be just a lightly differentiated Gen4 Tacoma interior. Round vent here, square vent there.

That leaves 4Runner looking even more to be a Tacoma SUV, like Tundra/Sequoia. I would not be surprised if those same accountants have already planned to relocate 4R production from Tahara to NA/Mexico.

 

^Or an even lower-cost country like Thailand (where the Hilux is made). Being an SUV, the 4R is unencumbered by the chicken tax.

 

what do you think the timeline is on that? Would be sweet to see them fix the Sequoia 3rd row with a smaller battery pack

 

It would be even better to see them get rid of the Sequoia all together and just put out a 3rd row land cruiser to take its place....

 

^Mechanically what's the difference between the Sequoia and J300 LC?

 

They announced by 2027. BEV pickup in or before 2026

 

It would no longer be a 4Runner, it would be a Tacoma Cross.

 

As they all have the same drive train the LC will be a tough sell for me.

 

I don't know all the differences but one is that the Land Cruiser 300 is built at the Land Cruiser factory in Japan...thats worth at least 10-15K in my book...lol. One thing the Sequoia shares with the 200 series is terrible sales numbers...

I think this new LC in a couple of years, will put a nail in the coffin on the Sequoia, not that the Sequoia is necessarily bad, its just that the Sequoia customer would be better suited with a Tahoe or Expediton, and the Tahoe and Expedition sales numbers show it.

 

You mean like the 4 runner started in the first place....people tend to forget that the 4 runner stated as an enclosed toyota truck/tacoma.....