Toyota details latest Land Cruiser 250 upgrade

'Two distinct personalities' promised for range refresh - including the welcome return of retro headlights

By Matt Bird / Wednesday, 25 March 2026 / Loading comments

Likely even Toyota couldn’t have predicted the frenzy around the 2024 Land Cruiser. The combination of perfectly modernised retro style with legendarily sturdy underpinnings - plus limited numbers for the UK - made for market conditions akin to a GT3 Preuninger Edition. It was nuts: big overs being paid, used cars being flipped for profit, even attempted thefts as supply and demand were skewed like never before. Despite the initial hype having died down a little, you’re still looking at £70k for a UK market car. And that’s without the round headlights…

Lest we forget, the First Edition Series 250s were offered with a front end that neatly evoked classic LCs; they’re more in demand because the standard light arrangement resembled Lego bricks. See the PH story here for an example of the former and here for the latter - it’s pretty clear which looks better. So much so, in fact, that a new tweak of the Land Cruisers bound for Western Europe will see the circular headlights return. How many cars Western Europe will receive isn’t clear for the moment, though there ought to be less spec squabbling this time around.

Speaking of which, Toyota suggests that a new two-model Land Cruiser lineup means ‘two distinct personalities’, specifically an ‘off-road’ profile and a ‘lifestyle’ one. These terms are probably all relative as far as a Land Cruiser goes, though there are some key equipment differences between the VX - ‘specified for serious off-road performance’ - and the VX-L, with ‘added style, technology and premium details’.

All new Cruisers are powered by the mild-hybrid 2.8 diesel, with off-road equipment including the Stabiliser Disconnect Mechanism, Crawl Control and the Multi-Terrain Monitor. A pair of 12.3-inch screens manage cockpit and infotainment duties, with both VX and VX-L optionally available with seven seats. But where a VX must make do with 18-inch wheels, the L gets 20s, and there’s a 14-speaker JBL audio system for the range-topper also. It isn’t all just for show, either, as the VX-L replaces the VX’s electronic locking rear diff with a Torsen item to deliver ‘enhanced on-road handling’. With a pano roof optional as well, the VX-L is likely to be the Land Cruiser in demand. Even if Smoky Blue is only offered on the VX…

Toyota believes that this latest revision is capable of ‘refocusing the range to provide versions designed to meet the preferences of customers looking for authentic “back to the roots” performance and those prioritising more sophisticated equipment features and technologies.’ Probably this is still going to remain a 4x4 towards the Ineos Grenadier end of the scale rather than the Land Rover Defender one, but that’s exactly the point: a Land Cruiser doesn’t have to attempt to be anything but a Land Cruiser right now.

Especially when it looks as good as this. Expect more details about UK availability soon And maybe, just maybe, a slight softening of those First Edition values in due course…