We’ve gone more than a year without the 300 Series Toyota Land Cruiser, but it may not be gone from America forever.
While we do get the mechanically similar Lexus LX600 over here, folks have been scratching their heads on why Toyota pulled its iconic Land Cruiser from our shores. There’s no official announcement to put it back on the menu for us Americans just yet, but executive vice president Jack Hollis shared some encouraging words with Motor Trend during a recent interview:
“Will we ever [reintroduce the Land Cruiser]? I would say likely yes…Obviously, Land Cruiser is such an important part of our heritage and has done such a great job. And I’ll be looking at it, absolutely. I have seen designs, thoughts, and hopes, yes. But nothing to announce. It’s still a ways off.”
Jack Hollis, Toyota Executive VP
Spoken like a politician, I know, but that’s more of a wink and a nod than we’ve gotten before. Mind you, even with the old Land Cruiser‘s departure, Toyota kept an eye toward die-hard enthusiasts by suggesting it wouldn’t really be gone forever. Time, as always, will tell.
For those who can actually buy one in their home market, the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series rides on the TNGA-F platform like the Lexus LX 600. It also gets a 3.4-liter (3,445cc) twin-turbo V6 engine mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. It makes more power in the LX (409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque), though Toyota did shed 441 pounds from the new Land Cruiser’s overall curb weight for this generation.
As awesome as it would be for Toyota to reintroduce the Land Cruiser, doing so is not without some hurdles. Namely, will we even get the 300 Series Land Cruiser while it’s still fresh, or are we looking at a next-generation model? Will we be able to get a smaller, more affordable version for those looking for a simpler take on what the Land Cruiser used to be? The 200 Series certainly found its buyers, but it could be tough for people to act on their nostalgia when faced with a $90,000 (or higher) price tag.
