All the commotion surrounding the new Toyota Land Cruiser has resulted in an updated 70 Series and the return of the U.S. market Cruiser. During a presentation on the future of the model, brand chief Simon Humphries gave a preview of a potential future icon. Humphries discussed plans to make the Land Cruiser more affordable and accessible to people worldwide, and a slide appeared behind him displaying three silhouetted vehicles. Starting with the vehicle on the upper left, it appears to be an evolved version of the Compact Cruiser EV Concept from 2021, which flirted with the revival of Toyota’s FJ Cruiser.
Despite the FJ Cruiser being discontinued ten years ago, there is still significant demand for it. Recent sales data from Classic.com shows prices this summer near or exceeding MSRP for FJ Cruisers with fewer than 100,000 miles, with Trail Teams Editions with under 50,000 miles fetching around $45,000 to $50,000. If the shadow image in the presentation is based on the Compact Cruiser, the potential future version has been updated with some necessary features for the segment, such as a higher ground clearance, larger tires, and a spare tire mounted on the tailgate. The dimensions also appear larger than the Compact Cruiser. It is unclear whether a potential new Cruiser would be electric-only like the Compact Cruiser or if Toyota would include an internal combustion engine.
The larger SUV on the right is more enigmatic. Its lack of a traditional grille suggests it may be electric, and its length indicates that it could be a three-row model. Its design elements are reminiscent of the bZ5X concept, particularly with deep scalloping on the doors and pronounced rear fenders. It bears resemblance to the rumored Lexus battery-electric three-row SUV concept, possibly named the TZ 450e or TZ 550e.
The final teased vehicle is clearly an all-electric, all-terrain three-wheel mobility scooter, representing one of the “new approaches to mobility” mentioned by the brand chief. You can hear Humphries’ comments starting at 18:26 in the video above.
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