The 2022 Toyota Land Cruiser made its debut today for the rest of the world. Sadly, we won’t be getting the legendary model anymore as Toyota discontinued it after the 2021 model year in the U.S..
The United States seems like the only SUV-heavy market left out. The Toyota made its debut on the company’s Middle East channel, with pegs to Russia, Australia, Japan, Brazil, even Kazakhstan. The actual reveal took place in the UAE, where the Land Cruiser has quite a following.
With the new model, dubbed the 300 series, comes a host of improvements. The Land Cruiser rides on a new platform called GA-F. This platform is so far specifically used for the Land Cruiser. (A Lexus LX variant, if that ever comes, would probably use this same platform, too.) Toyota says this new architecture is not only more structurally rigid, but also lighter. Toyota shaved a total of 440 pounds from the platform, and got a lower center of gravity as well.
Some of the biggest news is under the hood. The Land Cruiser gets two new engines. The 300 Series sees the debut of a brand new, specially-developed 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. It puts out 409 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. A 3.3-liter twin-turbo diesel with 304 HP and a full-size pickup-rivaling 516 lb-ft of torque is optional. Both of these engines are paired with 10-speed automatics. Toyota says that some markets will get a naturally aspirated version of the 3.5-liter V6 with a six-speed automatic, but didn’t say which markets specifically.
The Land Cruiser has always been about off-roading superiority. This new 300 series will be just as capable as the last one with better wheel articulation and other new off-road features. From Toyota:
- Improved road-holding performance through the adoption of the E-KDSS (Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System)
- Adoption of the Multi-Terrain Monitor, which instantly displays obstacles as viewed from the driver’s viewpoint
- Adoption of the Multi-Terrain Select, which automatically judges the road surface and selects the best driving mode
There’s also an all-new interior with three rows of seating. That’s three real rows with the third folding into the floor. There’s no word on trims or pricing yet, but surprisingly there is a new GR Sport model. Unfortunately, Toyota didn’t provide specifics on that model.
Hopefully, Toyota changes its mind about bringing the Land Cruiser to our shores. But with the low volumes it’s always sold in, it may not be worth it anymore.
