Confirmed: Legendary Toyota Land Cruiser to Return to Canada

The big and burly Toyota Land Cruiser, which left the Canadian market back in 1996 to make room for the more luxurious Lexus LX, is finally about to return. The company made the announcement today in a short press release.

“With 65 years of heritage, you can choose to slow down or reinvent yourself. We chose the latter. Stay tuned for more updates.”

Toyota also posted a pair of shadowy pictures to tease enthusiasts. Basically, all we can see are the silhouettes of two vehicles—the original FJ Land Cruiser on the left and the next-generation Land Cruiser on the right.

One thing you must know is that the Land Cruiser heading to our shores won’t be directly related to the Lexus LX. Instead, it will be more rugged and more adventurous, essentially the Toyota variant of the new 2024 Lexus GX introduced a month ago. Elsewhere around the world, this model will be known as Land Cruiser Prado.

Rumour has it the North American-bound Land Cruiser will sport retro design cues, such as round headlights inspired by the design of the FJ40 Cruiser. Remember, the Toyota did the same thing with the FJ Cruiser.

The vehicle will ride on Toyota’s TNGA-F body-on-frame architecture, which also underpins the Tundra, Tacoma and Sequoia, and house a twin-turbo 3.4-litre V6. The engine is expected to deliver 349 horsepower and 479 lb-ft. of torque via a 10-speed automatic transmission, enabling a max tow rating of 8,000 lbs. The Tundra’s available i-Force Max hybrid powertrain could be offered, as well. If that’s the case, look for 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft. of torque.

Will the Land Cruiser arrive as a 2024 or 2025 model? We’ll know for sure later this year when it makes its official debut. Keep following The Car Guide to learn more.