The Return of the Land Cruiser?

Pretty damn close.

 

I am thinking more Lexus GX size....blah...but hoping for simpler. But....

 

I don’t know what trims they are going to offer, but I’m actually holding off getting the GX hoping the Land Cruiser is going to be more of a no-frills option, and that dealers won’t mark up the hell out of them.

The way the front hood is angled sort of resembles the FJ cruiser, hoping they won’t give it weird round headlights.

The GX isn’t bad looking, either, and will come with some type of off-road trim.

 

Yeh that was the problem with the current LC, too high end. They didn't separate the luxury too much between that and the Lexus version and dismal sales resulted. Now if they economize the features the price should reflect it...I'd hope. The 100 series and under were the better sellers. I'm curious if they assign a series number to it or do an 'FJ Cruiser' type named series.

 

I wish Toyota would make a 4Runner with a removable roof again as an alternative to a Wrangler or Bronco.

 

The Prado is the 250 series LC.

 

Gamma cranked up:



Most likely same cab structure as the GX550 with FJ Cruiser / Compact Cruiser front end. You can see the GX550 square mirrors already.

Yeah market positioning is questionable. If it's full-size, it crowds the Sequoia. If it's midsize, it crowds the 4Runner. The 6th gen 4Runner hasn't been announced, has it?

Incidentally the 80-series is about the same size as the current 4Runner/Prado.

 

I was actually going to say how is this going to affect the 4Runner when you have a smaller Prado 250 Land Cruiser slotted exactly in the position the 4runner is expected to occupy.

 

May be different engines. 4Runner gets the Tacoma T24A with either gas or hybrid options. LC gets the GX's V35A gas-only.

I suspect the LC will be priced close to the GX (effectively same hardware but less luxury), so it will sell in far fewer numbers than the 4Runner.

 

That’s pretty much begging for it not to sell if that’s what they want to do.

 

thought I read they were adding the hybrid later on the GX? Might be making that up....

 

With Belt Buckle Mike as Toyota's Chief Technology Officer, they can't go wrong... https://pressroom.toyota.com/toyota-motor-north-america-announces-executive-changes-7/

 

good for him. Wonder who will take over his old post.

 

There was some article claiming the platform is “hybrid ready.” Whether that means a platform cousin has a hybrid option, or a hybrid option is planned for the future is anyone’s guess.

If they are engineering a 6th generation 4Runner alongside the Lexus GX/Land Cruiser twins and they all occupy a similar size class and they all will have overlapping luxury and off-road performance models, then, holy shit, what the hell are they thinking?

Before they announced the new 250 Land Cruiser you could argue the GX was the luxury model, and the 4Runner was the more rugged, off-road vehicle, but then the Land Cruiser fills that niche.

Unless they plan on making the 4runner much much cheaper like the Fortuner.

 

The LX600 doesn't have a hybrid option, yet the smaller GX550 gets it?

Leaf springs on the 6th gen!

 

still makes em wonder why they decided to go with the hybrid in the Sequoia and ICE in the LX and not the other way around. Must have been line time at the factories and not wanting a Hybrid in the 300 series for the Africa and Middle East markets

 

That they will still sell all of them. I really like the new GX. I would find it very difficult to cut up, though. I really want a new 4Runne, but at least we'll have options.

 

Compare against GX550, plastic bits will change, sheetmetal is identical:



The GX550's wheelbase is 2.4" longer than the current 4Runner/GX460's, according to the official press release.