5 Things The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Got Right (5 Things We Wish It Had)

The Toyota Land Cruiser is back. After a three-year hiatus in the U.S. market, the iconic SUV will officially hit showrooms in Spring 2024. Instead of getting the Land Cruiser 300 Series which thrives in other markets, the Japanese carmaker sends to the American shores a new Land Cruiser that is smaller, more affordable, and a tribute to the original concept of the vehicle.

Since its introduction to the local market in 1958, the Toyota Land Cruiser has been known to be a powerful and reliable vehicle that can carry you through the roughest of terrains with the added bonus of carrying people or luggage. However, from its utilitarian and function-centric days, the Land Cruiser evolved to being a more up market ride, with a luxurious interior and the latest technologies to make your life easier while on the road.

The 2024 Land Cruiser returns to its rugged origin. For Toyota Land Cruiser enthusiasts, the back-from-the-dead SUV is a 250 Series. It’s not as big as the Land Cruiser alternative 300 Lexus LX600 but newer than its 200 Series predecessor. The 2024 Land Cruiser trims (grades as the carmaker would call them) are the 1958 base model, the mid-tier Land Cruiser, and the limited First Edition top-of-the-line trim. ‘

With all the talks about the 2024 Land Cruiser specs after its unveiling, fans could be divided (or undecided). Some may like the latest edition of the SUV, while others might have another opinion. Below is our quick take of the new Land Cruiser’s best features and some features that we wish it came with.

RELATED: Here’s What Makes The Toyota Land Cruiser Impossible To Beat

1 Features We Love: No Longer Focused On Luxury

The predecessor of the new Land Cruiser had a starting sticker price of over $87,000. While there are no clear details yet about the 2024 Land Cruiser price, Toyota disclosed that it will be more accessible, with an MSRP in the mid-$50,000 range. That big price change pulls the Land Cruiser from the luxury and don’t-go-off-roading-until-it’s-an-old-SUV status to that “something I want and can afford” kind of SUV.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser drops its fancy styling and returns to its more upmarket utilitarian appeal. It’s more of an off-roader first rather than a luxury SUV. The Land Cruiser 1958 comes with manually adjustable seats wrapped in black fabric. The package also has a Toyota heritage grille, round LED headlights, a heated steering wheel, and a 24,000-watt AC inverter.

The Land Cruiser grade comes with heated and ventilated SofTex-trimmed that can be upgraded to vegan leather. Instead of round headlights, it comes with rectangular units. It also comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen paired with a 10-speaker sound system. Meanwhile, the First Edition trim, which will have a limited production run of 5,000 units, has a host of nice overlanding and off-roading features like a roof rack, roof rails, and front skid plates. And, of course, the obligatory First Edition badging.

2 TNGA-F Platform

One factor that allowed Toyota to bring the price of the 2024 Land Cruiser down is using its global TNGA-F platform. TNGA stands for Toyota New Global Architecture, which helped the manufacturer achieve faster vehicle production while significantly lowering costs. The new Land Cruiser uses the TNGA-F underpinning that the Toyota Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia also shares.

The body-on-frame platform gives the 2024 Land Cruiser more rigidity than the 200 Series. Toyota used high-strength steel with laser welds and blanking for a tougher truck platform that’s perfect for off-roading. The ladder on the frame platform for the chassis makes it easier to fit long-travel suspension and tougher axles, which are essential if you’ll go off-roading. Besides improving handle and drivability, such architecture will keep your wheels on the ground when negotiating uneven roads or during harsh driving conditions.

3 Boxy, Retro-ish, Rugged Styling

The design of the 2024 Land Cruiser is an amalgamation of all of its predecessors. Tracing its roots in military vehicles during World War II and evolving to how we know it today, the 2024 Land Cruiser is an homage to the rich history of the legendary SUV.

The redesigned Land Cruiser departs from the design lines of the posh Land Cruisers that came before it. It’s full of elements that will take you down memory lane. For example, the heritage headlamps and grille are good reminders of the old J-Series Land Cruiser. At the same time, the front fenders are reminiscent of the FJ40 arches.

Its overall boxy design with more straight lines to guide the eyes when in front of the vehicle is somewhat a tribute to the J40. From the side, one might liken it to the FJ Cruiser. At the rear, one cannot miss that the new Land Cruiser has a liftgate with the glass swinging open compared to the last iteration’s tail- and liftgate combo.

RELATED: Why We’d Pick The New Toyota Land Cruiser Over The Grand Highlander

4 Legit Off-Road Capability

Renowned for its off-road capabilities, the new Land Cruiser lives up to its reputation. All trims will come with a four-wheel drive system that works full-time. The setup comes with a center locking differential and an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case.

The SUV rolls out of the factory with a disconnectable front stabilizer bar, Multi-Terrain Select hat now works in both 4WD-High and Low, Crawl Control, and Downhill Assist. The latest version of the Land Cruiser in the U.S. will also come standard with front tow hooks to aid in recovery.

Continuing with the conscious redesign efforts, the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser has a short overhang in front, allowing you to overcome obstacles when off-roading. The more upright A-pillars also contribute to better visibility on the trails. The Cruiser was also designed with enough clearance and angles to negotiate challenging terrains:

• Ground Clearance: Up to 8.7 Inches
• Approach Angle: Up to 31 Degrees
• Departure Angle: Up to 22 Degrees
• Breakover Angle: Up to 28 Degrees

5 Electric Power Steering

The 250 Series Toyota Land Cruiser also comes with electric power steering. It’s the first Cruiser to have this feature. Electric power steering improves the maneuverability of the vehicle, especially at low speeds. This also lessens the kickback when you’re on rough terrain. Aside from that, electric power steering is easier to maintain than hydraulic-type ones. You do not need power steering fluid because the system uses an electric motor. Having an EPS, which boasts a simpler and lighter setup, also contributes to better fuel economy.

The electric power steering also allowed Toyota to incorporate Lane Tracing Assist in the 2024 Land Cruiser. It’s part of Toyota vehicles’ active safety and driver assistance features. Aside from Lane Tracing, the Toyota Safety Sense also includes lane departure alerts, a pre-collision system, and road sign assist, among others.

6 Feature We Wish The Land Cruiser Had: V-8 Rr V-6 Engine

The new Land Cruiser SUV in the U.S. will all sport Toyota’s i-Force MAX hybrid powerplant. This set up has a combo of a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a 48-horsepower electric motor. The total output is 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. All trims also come with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy is expected to be better with a hybrid setup, but we do not have the official figures yet.

Compared to the 2021 Land Cruiser, the new version of the SUV actually has fewer horses. The former came with a 5.7-liter V-8 mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The powerplant of the older Land Cruiser had an output of 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque.

Engine Specs

With the established reputation of the V-8 and V-6 as reliable workhorses on and off-road, Landcruiser purists might have some concerns about the drivability of the hybrid powertrain. However, Toyota could have equipped the new Land Cruiser with a hybrid powertrain to distinguish it from its cousins. The Lexus GX, for example, has a four-liter V-6 that produces 349 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque.

Meanwhile, the Forerunner is equipped with a less potent V-6 that cranks out 270 horsepower and 278 pound-feet. Another possible explanation is that Toyota has to meet certain fuel economy and emissions regulations, thus the hybrid powerplant.

RELATED: How The 2024 Land Cruiser Can Shake Up The Off-Roader Enthusiast Market

7 Better Towing Capacity

According to Toyota, the US-spec Land Cruiser will have a towing capacity of 6,000 pounds. This will be more than enough to tow a motorcycle trailer, a dolly for towing a vehicle, open utility trailer, or a pop-up camper. However, the new Land Cruiser’s towing capacity is much less than its V-8-powered older sibling, which can pull 8,100 pounds. It won’t also make the cut in our list of 10 SUVs with the best towing capacities.

Bigger towing capacity and payload capacity are essential when offroading or overlanding. This translates to your ability to bring all the people, luggage, gear, and essentials during your trip. It also means the ability to capably and safely pull your trailer even on challenging terrains. Having enough towing and payload capacity also means you will not unnecessarily strain different parts of the vehicle, including the engine when carrying out demanding work on the road.

8 A Third Row

Aside from downsizing the engine, returning to the basics for the interior, and using a global truck platform, getting rid of the third row has helped lower the tag price of the 2024 Land Cruiser.

It is also not just about reducing costs. A third-row seat that allows for a total vehicle capacity of seven to eight individuals might be difficult to execute. There’s no space for it, so five passengers it is. The hybrid powertrain’s battery placement makes the floor of the new Land Cruiser a bit odd, with less vertical height for third-row occupants to be comfortable enough.

But will there be a three-row version in the future? Possibly. Looking at the cargo area provides hints of what could-be. There are USB ports and seeming provisions for cup holders and seatbelts.

9 At Least Standard 20-Inch Rims

Another item on our Land Cruiser feature wish list is a set of bigger wheels. 20-inch rims may seem an ideal standard for those who will not be off-roading often. This gives the ride a more sporty, aggressive look and better handling and grip on the road.

However, with the back-to-basics approach, as an off-road first vehicle, Toyota equips all Land Cruiser trims with 18-inch alloy rims, with an optional upgrade to 20-inch shoes for the mid-tier Land Cruiser grade. A smaller rim is ideal when you go on trails, as you can put on tires that will give you the benefit of thicker sidewalls. The bigger tires you can put means better grip and cushion for the ride.

RELATED: Here’s What Gives The 2024 Land Cruiser An Edge Over The Competition

10 Wheel Back Configuration

It appears the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser will only have a flat-back version. This means that the spare tire will be placed under the vehicle, which could result in the lack of sub fuel tank. The sub fuel tank serves as a secondary tank that can help extend the range of your overlanding or off-roading without bringing Jerry cans.

With the spare tire under the vehicle, you risk dragging it when off-roading. The placement of the Land Cruiser’s spare tire appears to be lower than the differential. As of writing, we’re not sure if this will be a problem. Theoretically, it is, but we have to wait until the vehicle hits the market or at least see the initial tests done on the trails.