The most powerful Toyota Land Cruiser ever

A few markets such as Australia and the Middle East have announced the pending launch of the Toyota Land Cruiser Hybrid from the fourth quarter of this year. The SUV, with a nameplate that is over 70 years old, has gained legendary status around the world with its toughness and reliability. With the new hybrid electric powertrain, it will be the most powerful Land Cruiser ever offered.

It was the first Toyota model in many markets, including Malaysia (the first unit was sold in Sabah in 1957) and introduced the Japanese brand to the American market while the automaker was working on making more robust passenger cars.

Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technology is something which Toyota pioneered for mass production, having introduced the Prius as the world’s first hybrid electric sedan in the late 1990s. Since then, it has led in HEV production and it offers the technology in a wide range of models. It has also used the electrified technology in motorsports, most notable for its racing cars in endurance events such as the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Multi pathway approach
It was only a matter of time that the Land Cruiser would also get a HEV powertrain and the 8th generation now has it. This adheres to Toyota’s multi-pathway approach towards electrification, offering customers a choice of powertrain technologies to suit circumstances in different markets and regions.

The multi-pathway approach is proving more realistic as sales of fully electric vehicles has not achieved the big volumes that automakers were expecting. However, motorists are more willing to consider electrified vehicles with HEV technology which at least does not have the concerns of range anxiety requiring looking for a charging station.

Toyota has used its decades-long expertise in HEV technology to develop a robust powertrain for the latest Land Cruiser 300 series which provides improved power output and strong towing capability compared to the existing 3.3-litre turbodiesel powertrain.

457 bhp and 790 Nm
The powertrain has a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 engine (V35A-FTS) paired with a powerful electric motor generator in a parallel hybrid arrangement. Power output is 457 bhp with 790 Nm of torque, which goes through a 10-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels. The battery pack uses nickel metal hydride chemistry.

Other than the basic technical spec, Toyota has not given much more information although some distributors in the Middle East have been providing details of equipment levels. The Land Cruiser’s performance hybrid powertrain has been developed with true off-road capability and reliability and extensively tested in extreme conditions in regions that include deserts in Australia and the Middle East.

Incidentally, for the US market, Toyota also offers an electrified Land Cruiser 250 with the i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain. This has a turbocharged 2.4-litre 4-cylinder engine with a 48-hp electric motor feeding off a 1.87-kWh NiMH battery pack. Total system output is 330 bhp/630 Nm.

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 250 (Prado)