Toyota Teases Next Land Cruiser

It’s an open secret that the Big T is on the cusp of returning this storied nameplate to North American showrooms, meaning the release of a shadowy teaser image isn’t a huge surprise. Still, it’s neat to see what’s in the hopper for this off-road brute.

Alert readers will recall a new body-on-frame Lexus GX was introduced earlier this year, showing up with handsome squared-off styling and a twin-turbo V6 making 349 horsepower. Of note, an Overtrail trim with standard 33-inch tires probably gives us the closest look as to how aggro trims of the new Land Cruiser are destined to appear.

The teaser image shows a markedly similar profile to that of the GX, complete with a bumped-up beltline near the C-pillar and an overall blocky shape. Also, peep the old-school “quarter window” on its rear side doors. Relatively easy-to-change details like head- and taillights are sure to be unique to the Land Cruiser, though it’s tough to tell whether they’ll be round units like a 60-series or oblong such as found on 80-series and other iterations. I’ll bank the latter, bookending a TOYOTA billboard grille. Bookmark this page to see if I’m right and make fun of me if I’m not.

Speaking of taillights, the ones in this teaser shot are decidedly more vertical than lenses found on the GX, seeming to protrude a bit from the bodywork. The GX has a bit of simple styling flourish in this area, so it wouldn’t be a chore for Team Toyota to design a lamp that could remind us all of the tri-color rectangular units found on Land Cruisers in the past. Amber turn signals would be a tremendous throwback but we aren’t holding our breath.

But we’re glad the nameplate seems poised to make a return here at all. In a sea of car-based crossovers, a capable body-on-frame SUV can be a great palate cleanser - not to mention sorely needed competition for rigs like the Tahoe and Yukon. And, if we’ve learned anything from owners of the 4Runner and late FJ Cruiser, more than a few of these things will actually see off-road action. Let’s go.

[Images: Toyota]

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