Leaked 2022 Toyota Land Cruiser Drawings Suggest V8 is Dead
This pair of technical drawings suggests the next-generation Land Cruiser will get a pair of V6 engine options.
Last December, Toyota announced that unfortunately, the rumors were true. The company’s venerable Land Cruiser would not be available on our shores after the 2021 model year. That news caused plenty of folks, including humble scribes like yours truly and YouTube luminaries like Doug DeMuro, to mourn the loss of the robust, reliable rig. And while it’s likely we’ll get some kind of rugged, retro-inspired FJ Cruiser replacement to help soothe our souls, the loss of the Land Cruiser is still a big bummer.
That said, while the Land Cruiser nameplate might have cruised into the sunset here, it’s likely American fans will still be able to score one — it’ll just be badged as a Lexus LX. But since the current 5.7-liter V8 delivers real-world fuel economy in the single digits, the big eight-pot has got to go, as it’s basically a boat anchor attached to the company’s fleet fuel economy average. And these technical drawings, which just surfaced on Russian automotive forum Prado-Club, supposedly show its replacement.
As gearheads can see, both engines in the drawings are V6 units. The one on the left is the 4.0-liter V6 familiar to fans of the Tacoma. The one on the left is the newer mill, a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 currently seeing service in the LS 500, Lexus’ four-door flagship. In luxury sedan trim, it’s packing 416 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque, and while those aren’t earth-shattering numbers in the segment, after road tripping the LS 500 last year, I can attest it’s enough to make the big executive machine hustle.
Given that our new “Land Cruiser” will wear the famous Predator grille, that’s likely the only engine we’ll see. The smart money also says that a hybrid version is in the mail, so it’s not unreasonable to think that Lexus buyers looking for off-road chops could get a couple of powertrain options. Obviously, nothing is set in stone yet, as Toyota has yet to even confirm the availability of the next-generation LX here. But given the amount of money Lexus would be leaving on the table if it didn’t offer a competitor in the segment, it’s a safe bet a fancy Land Cruiser is on the way. Stay tuned for more news on the upcoming 300 Series Land Cruiser when we have it.
Photos: Prado-Club via Kurdistan Automotive Blog
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