Toyota has many exciting new vehicles on the way. Among them is the so-called Land Cruiser Mini, a small but rugged SUV that’s said to become the third member of the Land Cruiser family. Many new details on this vehicle have emerged in Japan, including its name and potential powertrains.
The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser SUV was just announced for the North American market. However, everywhere else in the world, this model is the Land Cruiser Prado, the 250 series. A full-sized Land Cruiser 300 came out a few years ago and is already dominating the Middle East Market. This third Land Cruiser, the Mini, is aimed at the East Asia market, where it will reportedly compete with the Suzuki Jimny.
The most important piece of information we bring you today is a name: Land Hopper. Best Car Web claims this has been chosen for the upcoming SUV, which could hit the market as early as 2024. It sounds a little strange, but they were right about many things recently, including the name of the new Subaru wagon, the Layback.
The Land Hopper was recently teased as a silhouette during the Land Cruiser presentation. But its design has already been previewed by the official concept called “Compact Cruiser EV.” It’s shaped a lot like the FJ Cruiser but with four doors and more modern styling.
The proportions are said to be similar to a Corolla Cross, with a total length of 4,490 mm, a total width of 1,825 mm, a total width of around 1,800 mm, and a total height of about 1,850 mm. However, it’s not related to the Corolla in any way. Instead, the Land Hopper is said to use a short version of the Toyota GA-F platform, meaning an authentic body-on-frame build.
Is the baby Land Cruiser also a hybrid?
Best Car claims prices could start as low as 3 million yen, which is only $20,000. That’s amazing for a fully-fledged off-road vehicle. It’s sure to become the most popular member of the Land Cruiser family. Our source claims the SUV will be powered by some kind of hybrid engine, the 1.8-liter or 2.0-liter, suggesting even the hybrid 1.5-liter turbo that they’re developing.
However, we’re pretty sure they’re wrong because they’d be too small. Another Japanese magazine called Mag X says that the baby Land Cruiser is powered by two engines, the 2TR 2.7-liter gasoline motor, and the 1GD 2.8-liter straight-four diesel, with a hybrid sold mainly in Japan.
This perfectly lines up with Toyota’s plans to build the Land Hopper in Thailand. For those of you who don’t know, the HiLux is a pickup made in Thailand since 2004, just like the 2TR engine. Mag X says that a pure EV version like the concept is coming, but the automaker wants to develop the Tacoma EV for North America first since it has the most potential.
Expect to learn a little bit more about the Land Hopper at the Japan Mobility Show starting on October 25, 2023. However, the actual launch is scheduled for May 2024.
