Toyota’s Land Cruiser to Return to U.S.

livemint.com:

Toyota Motor is bringing a long-running icon of off-roading back to the U.S. At an event in Tokyo on Wednesday, Toyota showed off a new Land Cruiser, reminiscent of boxy pre-2000s versions of the sport-utility vehicle. The company said it plans to bring the new vehicle to the U.S.

next year, two years after discontinuing the Land Cruiser in that market. The move resembles Ford’s decision in 2020 to relaunch its previously discontinued off-roading SUV, the Bronco. Like the Bronco, the new Land Cruiser could put further pressure on rival Jeep’s position in the “adventure vehicle" category.

Car companies in recent years have been crowding showrooms with new versions of SUVs and other big, higher-profit vehicles. The Land Cruiser discontinued in the U.S. in 2021 hadn’t received a major update in years.

Starting at upward of $80,000, it struggled to compete in the high-price segment, though it retained a following among some off-road enthusiasts. The U.S. price of the new Land Cruiser will start in the mid-$50,000s.

Toyota is marketing the new model as an SUV for people who actually drive off-road, rather than just daydreaming about it. “At the heart of this is reliability and durability and performance over rough terrain," said Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries. He called it “proud to be raw and utilitarian." Humphries said the company welcomes competition from off-roading-SUV rivals.

“It’s like a sports car—there are Land Cruiser guys and there are Bronco guys. Everyone has their own preference," he said. The new Land Cruiser will go on sale next year in the U.S.