Toyota pushes back Land Cruiser 300 premiere to 2021

MANILA: Toyota confirmed that the launch of the Land Cruiser 300 will be moved to 2021, with a corresponding sale date. As the successor of the Toyota Land Cruiser 200, there are rumors that this new Land Cruiser model will use a similar engine as that of its Prado counterpart, with some modifications.

The new generation of the iconic SUV was initially expected to make its Japanese launch in July 2020. Yet, in line with the massive cancellation of events brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Japanese car company decided to delay the premiere of the SUV to a later date.

There have been rumors floating across the internet regarding the new Land Cruiser model. Reports also stated that three new power plants are in the mix.

The first alternative is the widely awaited hybrid drivetrain. Also, the two others involve new diesel and gasoline-fed options. The news regarding the diesel engine coincides with rumors that the full-size SUV will come with a double-turbo V6 gasoline engine replacing the V8 power plant. According to reports, the V6 engine is the foundation of the hybrid variant of the vehicle.

The twin-turbo V6 engine of the Land Cruiser 300 has a displacement of 3.5-liters and emphasizes maximum torque delivery akin to the Lexus LS500. In Lexus form, this engine generates around 600Nm, although Toyota output figures still need further verification.

The V8 puts out 460Nm, while the new diesel engine produces 650Nm. Meanwhile, the second option appears to be an electrically powered variant of the same engine. 

Nevertheless, Toyota has not yet verified all of these speculations. Also, there are no official figures released regarding the new SUV model as of this time.

The new Land Cruiser will also follow the ladder-frame TNGA architecture, as previously stated, and will only appear in 4WD guise. Japanese media also listed the specifications of the new vehicle: 1,870mm in height, 1,980mm in width, and 4,950mm in length. Reports also stated that the exterior design would not deviate that much from the current model, albeit with a more robust front end more in line with the latest lineup of Toyota.

According to a previous statement of Toyota Australia, the development of the vehicle is still ongoing.  Whatever features the powertrain has must suit the general marketplace. Beyond that, nothing can be confirmed as of this time.

If the speculations are correct, then the new Land Cruiser 300 will also come with an automated six-speed transmission for the electrified version, just like the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. But for the gasoline version, it appears that its engine will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Although there are still a lot of unconfirmed reports, and more news on the vehicle will come in the new few months, the one thing sure about the new Land Cruiser  is the postponement of its much-awaited debut to 2021.