Toyota Land Cruiser teaser confirms connection to Lexus GX

Following the announcement that the Toyota Land Cruiser nameplate would return to American shores, the Japanese automaker has released a teaser of the SUV. Not only does it give us an idea of its basic looks, it also reveals that it will basically be a twin to the recently revealed Lexus GX.

A few things confirm the GX connection. First, the overall boxy profile and upright front end. Then there's that distinct piece of upswept sheet metal at the windowsill of the rear door. These are unquestionably cues from the GX. But besides the design hints, there's the overall size. Toyota photographed the new Land Cruiser alongside an FJ40 Land Cruiser, and while it's definitely bigger, the size difference isn't as great as we'd expect with the global 300-series Land Cruiser and its twin, the Lexus LX.

Toyota's own press release also confirms what we could see; that this isn't the global Land Cruiser. The release says: "With 65 years of heritage, you can choose to slow down or reinvent yourself. We chose the latter." In other words, this isn't the Land Cruiser you know.

Now before anyone starts complaining that this American Land Cruiser won't be a "real" Land Cruiser, that's not exactly true, either. The Lexus GX has always been based on a smaller, more budget version of the Land Cruiser called the Prado. Odds are, that's what our Land Cruiser will be called in other markets. And while not as big and not with the direct lineage of past Cruisers, the Prado still has plenty of off-road credibility.

Seeing as this will be smaller and not the full-fat Land Cruiser, the American variant should also be far more affordable than the 200-series Land Cruiser was. That SUV started at more than $85,000. We don't know for sure, but pricing underneath the approximately $78,000 of the Sequoia TRD Pro would seem reasonable to us.

Powertrains should be basically the same as the GX with a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 and four-wheel drive standard, with some kind of hybrid version coming in the future. The chassis will be based on the TNGA-Frame platform with double-wishbone front suspension and multi-link solid-axle rear. It will likely also be offered with a third row of seats either as an option or standard. And while there's no reveal date just yet, you can be sure to see the SUV revealed this year, and launching sometime next year.

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