3 Major Differences Between the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser and the OG Version
Toyota’s latest Land Cruiser SUV is coming. The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is the reintroduction of the Land Cruiser nameplate following its demise in 2021. Toyota is bringing back the Land Cruiser due to popular demand, but how different is the new version from the original model?
2021 vs. 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser: What’s different?
- The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is a midsize SUV
- Toyota’s 2021 Land Cruiser uses a V8 engine
- The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is expected to start under $60,000
Toyota’s newest Land Cruiser is a midsize SUV
The first huge difference between 2024 and 2021 Land Cruisers is perhaps the most obvious: size. Previous Land Cruiser models were full-size SUVs prior to the nameplate’s discontinuation.
A difference in size is huge (no pun intended) to consumers because the Land Cruiser’s size was a major part of its appeal to many drivers. A smaller Land Cruiser ultimately means less passenger and cargo space.
On the other hand, making a smaller SUV has some positive implications. Since full-size SUVs aren’t as popular as in previous years, a midsize model could potentially appeal to drivers who weren’t interested in the original full-size model.
The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is a hybrid
A standard hybrid powertrain system powers every new 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser model. It comes in three configurations: the 1958 base model, the Land Cruiser mid-tier model, and the fully loaded First Edtion. Each new Land Cruiser configuration has a standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine paired with two electric motors to make 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque.
Why did Toyota choose a hybrid powertrain system for a nameplate synonymous with a hulking V8 engine? The Japanese automaker is electrifying its portfolio of vehicles to reduce carbon emissions. Furthermore, it has proved that hybrid powertrain systems can produce even more power than eight-cylinder engines.
This is a huge change for the Land Cruiser nameplate, but it’s a step in the right direction in the eyes of many consumers. Toyota Tundra and Sequoia models have received similar redesigns, which are being received well. Some Land Cruiser fans will despise the off-road SUV’s new powertrain system, but its power output should convince plenty of drivers that it’s a worthy alternative.
Toyota’s new Land Cruiser will be much more affordable
Finally, the last big difference between the discontinued Land Cruiser and the new model is pricing. The 2024 Land Cruiser will be the most affordable model of its name in decades. 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser models started at around $87,000.
Toyota’s new Land Cruiser midsize off-road SUV is expected to start at around $55,000. That’s a price difference of nearly $32,000. Even Toyota’s fully loaded version of the new Land Cruiser, the First Edition, could have a starting price under the 2021 Land Cruiser base model’s starting price.
The Land Cruiser’s new affordable entry-level pricing opens it up to a whole new world of consumers. It’s arguably the first mainstream model of its name that Toyota has produced in years. Will the midsize off-road SUV be a huge success or a colossal disappointment once it arrives in the spring of 2024?
