With all the Toyota 300 Series LandCruiser clickbait rumours swirling around the internet and social media, we thought it time to put down exactly what we do know at this stage, with hopes of quashing some of the rumours being pedalled around by various websites.
What we do know
At this stage, all we can really confirm about the Toyota 300 Series LandCruiser (LC300) is that production of the Toyota 200 Series LandCruiser has ceased. Moreover, every Toyota dealer we spoke to has now received their final allotment of 200 Series LandCruisers, with only a few GXL model grades still in stock, and there being virtually “no chance” of getting your hands on a VX or Sahara model.
We have been told by one Toyota dealer that they are expecting to receive information (at the dealer level) regarding the new LC300 by mid- to late-March 2021. So call it two months away at worst. That said, another dealer told us they are not expecting stock to arrive in dealerships until the end of the year. So chances are we’ll be able to tell you a lot more about the LC300 in well before we’ll see one for sale in a dealership.
Other than that, we really don’t know much, at least not much in the way of fact. Sure, there have been plenty of articles claiming to have the facts, but even sources such as the oft-quoted Japanese website Best Car Web have regularly got it wrong in regards to the LC300. For example, when they stated in January 2020 that the LC300 would definitely be revealed by August 2020.
So let’s cut through the bullsh*t. Below you’ll find a list of what we don’t know but has been guessed at in the media and on social media pages the world over.
What we don’t know
The new Toyota 300 Series LandCruiser will be powered by a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine. Or maybe a twin-turbo V6 diesel engine. Or maybe a four-cylinder diesel engine. Or maybe a quad-turbo V12 hydrogen-powered rocket engine. Realistically, we just don’t know for sure as Toyota is being extremely tight-lipped regarding the next-gen Cruiser.
Examining the rumours swirling around, a petrol-powered engine probably makes the most sense. This is due to the fact that more and more LandCruisers are finding a home in the city, instead of out in the country. Petrol engines are becoming exceptionally efficient these days, so we may well see a move away from diesel; at least as far as ‘luxury’ spec LandCruisers are concerned. There’s a good chance that the 70-Series will maintain the 1VD V8 diesel simply due to its heavy trade and fleet purchasers who operate far away from cities. Bear in mind, there’s an equally good chance that the new LC300 will be offered with the option of a hybrid drive system, at least within a few years of release. That comes off the back of Toyota confirming it will have a Hybrid option of every vehicle in its stable by 2025.
Beyond the engine, the projected drivetrain system is also an area of conjecture. I recently saw an article suggesting the new LandCruiser will come only in all-wheel drive configuration; no centre diff lock or any other way to direct power both forward and back regardless of traction. Despite this, I am absolutely certain the Cruiser will retain a full-time four-wheel drive system. This system might be managed through various off-road ‘modes’ but it will certainly maintain four-wheel drive.
And finally, what the LC300 will look like. There have been countless artists’ impressions with renderings that look like anything from the love child of a 200 Series and Y62 Patrol to a straight-up, blown-up Toyota Rukus with GR badges on it (see below – it’s actually kinda funny). And then there is an artist’s impression that essentially turns the Toyota Tundra into a wagon and calls it a LandCruiser. Are any of these on the money? We doubt it; we’re just going to have to wait and see.
At the end of the day, we’re just as keen as you are to see what the next-generation LandCruiser will bring to the table but, at this stage, Toyota Australia is giving us absolutely nothing… despite Deano trying his best with a Toyota Australia spokesperson:
“At this stage we have no news on any changes to LandCruiser that we can announce,” the spokesperson said. “While we’ve got no official news on things, with the (LC200) stock situation (running low), people will be able to infer things from that… but when vehicles will be replaced is something I might not be able to give you.
“Once the (LC200) stock runs out, it is out, until we are ready to announce any changes. We’re under the control of whatever Toyota in Japan allows us to say at the time, so I can’t really say anything more.”
What does that all mean? We’re just going to have to wait and see. We won’t give up on trying to get some more information out of Toyota, and we’ll be sure to bring you a full article once we actually know something concrete, but other than that it’s all just clickbait at this stage.
