Is this the electric Toyota Prado Australia has been waiting for? Toyota LandCruiser SE electric car concept breaks cover with seven seats, next-gen EV architecture, advanced battery tech and more

Disappointed you won’t be able to buy a Prado 250 next year with a hybrid petrol engine? This might just make your day!

Toyota will pull the covers off a battery electric vehicle (EV) version of its all-new LandCruiser 250/Prado at the Tokyo Mobility Show in Japan this week, and it is not what we were expecting.

Longer and larger than the coming 2024 Toyota Prado, the LandCruiser Se also switches to a monocoque body, rather than the usual body-on-frame construction, revealing a depth of change never before experienced in – or expected from – a vehicle wearing the iconic badge.

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Furthermore, when the production version arrives from 2026, it will usher in Toyota’s next generation of battery technology. Whether this means the vaunted solid-state battery packs that promise dramatically more range and shorter charge times is not yet known.

In fact, Toyota is not saying anything at this stage about the LandCruiser Se, except that it sits on a longer wheelbase than the 250/Prado, has three rows to seat up to seven people, and that its electric motor will provide a “high torque driving experience.”

Music to traditional Australian LandCruiser fans, then, despite the loss of internal combustion engine and separate chassis.

The renders supplied also reveal a very different design language for a Toyota 4x4 wagon, with sharp edges and boxy proportions contrasted with taut surfacing and horizontal LED lighting effects, for a very contemporary and urbane-looking vehicle.

To that end, while generous ground clearances and approach angles speak of strong off-road capabilities, there is no doubt that the LandCruiser Se would be aimed at well-heeled families seeking an adventurous SUV.

Total length and wheelbase of 5150mm and 3050mm respectively makes the Tokyo concept the longest Toyota SUV in history, easily surpassing even the North American-market Grand Highlander, that is a stretched version of the Kluger.

Factor in the expected flat floor and other packaging advantages that EVs provide, and this could also be the roomiest.

Stay tuned, as we’ll deliver more information about the LandCruiser Se at Wednesday’s Tokyo Mobility Show.