Major changes lurking for LandCruiser

The LandCruiser is Toyota’s longest-running production nameplate and it has had many iterations over the years.

Even now it’s adorned across three separate model lines in Australia, if you include the LandCruiser Prado. There’s also the rugged LandCruiser 70 Series, which dates back the 1980s, and the modern LandCruiser 300 Series.

Read more about Toyota

• This will change the LandCruiser forever
• New Toyota LandCruiser ute coming?
• Toyota LandCruiser 300 2026 review: Hybrid - Australian preview drive

The LandCruiser FJ is a smaller, yet still off-road-capable model that’s built on a variation of the HiLux’s IMV body-on-frame architecture.

Globally this baby LandCruiser is only being powered by a 2.7-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine for now. It’s only developed to meet Euro 5 emissions standards and this is why Toyota Australia has ruled it out from a local launch.

During 2025 Toyota debuted a minor update to the LandCruiser 300 Series line-up. It brought technology, convenience and safety tweaks. It also brought a $2000 range-wide price increase.

In 2026 a hybrid version of the LandCruiser 300 Series is set to launch in Australia. It’s already offered in some Middle Eastern countries.

It features a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine with a single electric motor generator. This is the same set-up as the Tundra pick-up, which is also built on the TNGA-F body-on-frame platform.

This is mated to a 10-speed torque-converter automatic transmission with drive sent through a full-time four-wheel drive system.

Toyota hasn’t confirmed Australian total system outputs, fuel consumption, towing capacity, payload and pricing for this car as it’s still being homologated.

It’s worth noting that they likely will cost more than equivalent turbo-diesel models and potentially use more fuel on average.

The Japanese carmaker has confirmed it will only be offering the LandCruiser 300 Series Hybrid in the flagship Sahara ZX and GR Sport trims. This also means they’ll only come with five seats.

Looking beyond this, Toyota is reportedly working on a new ute to wear the LandCruiser badge.

Japanese publication Best Car indicates this new LandCruiser ute won’t be anything like the existing LandCruiser 70 Series ute, which is incredibly rugged. Instead it will be more city focused and draw inspiration from the EPU concept that was revealed at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show.

It’s understood this new LandCruiser ute will ditch the body-on-frame architecture and have a monocoque platform instead, which is typically used more by less off-road-centric passenger cars and crossover SUVs.

This monocoque platform will reportedly allow for hybrid and electric powertrains. It’s understood both of these are hard to implement into body-on-frame vehicles that are also expected to carry large payloads and tow.

Additionally an SUV version of this new LandCruiser will reportedly be developed, also according to Best Car.

It’s expected to come with an electric powertrain and will likely be inspired by the LandCruiser Se concept that was also revealed at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show.

At this stage no definite timing or date has been announced for when these new LandCruiser models will be revealed.

It’s also unclear whether they would come to Australia, though with the tightening emissions standards now in effect, it would be surprising if they didn’t.