Toyota will launch two 100% electric Land Cruisers
Toyota will launch two 100% electric Land Cruisers: a small SUV with a retro design and a larger, more luxurious one.
The Land Cruiser is one of Toyota’s greatest icons. The fireproof all-terrain vehicle, in continuous production since 1951, has conquered the entire world thanks to its versatility, off-road capabilities, and legendary reliability. Aware of the importance of this model, the Japanese firm is already preparing to electrify it to adapt it to the new market reality.
Currently, the Land Cruiser range is made up of three models: the everlasting 70 “heavy duty” series born in 1984, the new 250 Prado “light duty” series (the only Land Cruiser available in the Spanish market), and the colossal 300 series station wagon. However, in the future, this lineup will expand with the arrival of two additional fully electric members.
Like the Crown, the Land Cruiser will cease to be a model and become a sub-brand within Toyota. Simon Humphries, the company’s director of operations, has confirmed to Autocar that the company is “exploring new approaches that not only improve the Land Cruiser experience but also increase people’s freedom of movement. “Our customers trust us to keep Land Cruiser relevant and thriving well into the future.”
The first electric Land Cruiser will be an urban car based on the Compact Cruiser EV Concept prototype. Its retro design, inspired by the classic 40 series (1960-2001), will seek to win the favor of young audiences. Humphries notes that Toyota wants to make the Land Cruiser range “more affordable” and “available to even more people around the world.”
The Land Cruiser is one of Toyota’s greatest icons
The other electric Land Cruiser will be a much larger and more luxurious vehicle. Derived from the Land Cruiser Se Concept prototype, its arrival on the market will take place in 2026, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the saga. While the Compact Cruiser will make use of the eTNGA platform, the new generation architecture with gigacastings will be used.
Unlike the 70, 250, and 300, neither of the two electric Land Cruisers will have a stringer and crossmember chassis, but rather a monocoque. Therefore, they will not be standard off-road vehicles, but rather SUVs, as they will be more oriented towards driving on the road than in the countryside. Of course, its performance on the track should continue to be very outstanding thanks to the use of an intelligent all-wheel drive system similar to the one we can find in the bZ4X. In the specific case of the Se, Toyota states that “the monocoque body offers great handling response and safety to face complicated terrain.”
Source- Autocar
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