Toyota has announced that the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser SUV will have a hybrid powertrain. This is big news for Toyota’s longest-running nameplate, which is returning for the 2024 model year following a three-year absence.

Land Cruiser Has a Revered History

The Toyota Land Cruiser has an incredible history. It joined the company’s lineup in 1958 and has become a respected nameplate. Through the years the Land Cruiser has went through several design changes. The tally includes a two-door model with a fold-down windshield and rear jump seats, called the 40 Series. Fun fact: The 40 Series was the best-selling Toyota in the U.S. for five years. Soon though, Toyota customers wanted larger 4×4, so the Land Cruiser grew in size. The final Land Cruisers sold in the U.S., the 200 Series, was a premium fullsize luxury SUV. The Land Cruiser nameplate has been absent for the last three years but is sauntering back in style for the 2024 model year.

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser

The 2024 Land Cruiser will be available in three grades. There’s the Land Cruiser 1958, Land Cruiser, and First Edition. The First Edition will be limited to 5,000 units in North America. The new Land Cruiser is smaller and less expensive than its predecessor but sports a spec sheet that includes a vast number of items to carry on the Land Cruiser’s on- and off-road reputation. On the off-road side, there’s decent ground clearance (up to 8.7 inches), trail-friendly 31-degree approach angle (Land Cruiser and First Edition grades), skidplates, towhooks, a two-speed transfer case, and an electronic locking rear differential. Two of the trim packages include a front stabilizer bar disconnect to improve wheel travel. Off-road-centric options include rock rails to protect the rocker panels and full coverage high-strength steel skidplates to protect the underbody. Of course, the Land Cruiser also sports a wide variety of luxury and high-tech features.

Now, About That Hybrid Powertrain

One of the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser’s most talked about features is the standard hybrid powertrain. The i-Force Max powertrain contains a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that has an electric motor nestled in the Cruiser’s eight-speed transmission. The electric motor generates 48 hp and draws from a 1.87 kWh NiMH battery pack. Combined, the powertrain generates 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. That’s darn respectable output. Toyota hasn’t released where that power will peak in the Land Cruiser’s rpm band. However, the 2024 Tacoma is getting a similar i-Force Max hybrid powertrain and Toyota says a low 1,700 rpm is the magic number for that powertrain. Toyota says it will release the Land Cruiser’s mpg numbers closer to the vehicle’s release date.

The Bottom Line

It’s clear that Toyota engineers took the Land Cruiser’s redesign seriously. On paper, the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser appears to be a shot across the bow of other SUVs in its class. The Cruiser’s hybrid powertrain will ostensibly provide low rpm torque and good efficiency, the SUV appears to have the bits to give it off-road chops, the overall size should help make it nimble on- and off-road, pricing is competitive for its class, and it’s loaded with tech. We’ll have more info on the new Land Cruiser and its hybrid powertrain as it becomes available.