All-new Toyota Land Cruiser launched

Out with the old and in with the new-old school as Toyota's icon finally embraces its heritage

The retro-inspired SUV is big business right now. As the established players begin to feel the heat from EV hotshots like Rivian, so the allure of evoking former glories becomes all the more appealing. Because the startups don’t have heritage - and heritage sells. Just look at the new Ford Bronco for proof, or the Ineos Grenadier, or the option packs offered for the Defender. If the people want retro, they’re going to get it.

Now the Land Cruiser has joined the ranks, that most stoically unfashionable of 4x4s having been given a good-old-days glow-up for this all-new 2024 model. Toyota says the look represents ‘tradition blended with modernity’, and we’re absolutely all for it, from the retro colour palette to the FJ Cruiser-esque details, somehow not much like any Land Cruiser in recent memory yet also instantly recognisable.

The LC’s roots as a proper off-roader haven’t been forgotten in the makeover, either: the overhangs remain short to help with approach and departure angles, the lower body has been narrowed to protect from damage and, should the worst happen, panels have been designed with easy replacement in mind. This new Cruiser is 4,920mm long, 1,980mm wide and 1,870mm high.

Underpinned by a new GA-F platform, with a body-on-frame construction, this latest model is said to boast a significant increase in off-road ability compared to the old Land Cruiser. That’ll be due to things like a 50 per cent stiffer frame (combined body and frame rigidity is improved by over 30 per cent), plus increased wheel articulation from improved suspension, but also new technology, too.

This is the first Land Cruiser to use electric power steering - that’s progress for ya - which will reduce kickback when in the rough; the Land Cruiser also gets a Toyota first with the introduction of a disconnecting front anti-roll bar. Or Stabiliser with Disconnection Mechanism (SDM) in acronym speak. Via a switch on the dash, the ARB can be, well, connected or disconnected, meaning more flexibility for exploration. Toyota is promising ‘better driveability on rough roads and greater comfort and easier handling in on-road driving’. See - much more than just a smart new look.

The latest Land Cruiser will once again be powered by a 2.8-litre diesel, although it’s set for 48v mild hybridisation come 2025 (let’s get the electric power steering shock out the way first, eh?). So for the moment, it’ll launch with 204hp and a 3,500kg towing capacity. You also get a new eight-speed auto - note the lever for it inside as well, like something from a piece of heavy machinery rather than a road-going 4x4. Just as a Land Cruiser should be.

The rest of the cabin follows what Toyota is calling the ‘back to its origins’ quality of the outside; it’s more modern and more stylish, but it hasn’t abandoned that legendary Land Cruiser usability, either. You can still get seven seats, you still get chunky switches that won’t be all fiddly off-road, and you still get a neatly arranged horizontal layout that makes sense. Toyota hasn’t been making Land Cruisers for more than 70 years (and selling millions of them) by overcomplicating things.

There is one more concession to modernity, however - the Land Cruiser is getting a First Edition. How trendy. Toyota says around 3,000 will come here, designed to emphasise the LC heritage with ‘special styling features and a no-nonsense off-road character.’ It’s the car here with the round lights and two-tone paint. Expect those to be in quite some demand when pre-sales open later in 2023, and not just for the retro vibes. After all, if you want a Toyota Land Cruiser, then no kind of substitute or alternative will ever suffice - only a Toyota Land Cruiser will do.