Toyota working on a smaller Land Cruiser SUV

At the unveiling of the Land Cruiser Prado, Toyota teased a smaller off-roader SUV that is expected to be a part of the expanded Land Cruiser line-up, joining the aforementioned model and the Land Cruiser 300.

1. Toyota has trademarked Land Hopper name in Japan
2. Likely to be called the FJ Cruiser in some markets 
3. Expected to get multiple powertrain options

Toyota Land Hopper: what could it be?

As per reports, this upcoming SUV will get different names depending on the market, just like the recently unveiled Land Cruiser Prado, which goes as Land Cruiser 250 in the North American market. The upcoming small-rugged SUV could be named Land Hopper in markets like Japan as Toyota trademarked this moniker with the Japanese Patent Office in August this year.

At the Land Cruiser Prado unveiling event, Simon Humphries, Toyota’s chief of design, hinted at this model saying that customers want the Land Cruiser brand to stay relevant and Toyota will ensure the “Land Cruiser brand is more affordable”. This could also mean that the Land Cruiser brand might be next in line to see multiple model introductions like the Toyota Crown line-up and more recently the Toyota Century range that now also has a luxury SUV.

With the upcoming small rugged SUV, Toyota could employ a different naming strategy for other markets, like reviving the FJ Cruiser name in North America, or even Compact Cruiser, which looks similar to the silhouette.

Toyota Land Hopper design, dimensions, powertrain

Speaking of the Compact Cruiser, the teaser shown by Toyota looks very similar to the concept showcased back in 2021. Humphries also mentioned that the expansion of the Land Cruiser nameplate could mean adopting carbon-neutral approaches and this may mean that the upcoming model could also be an EV or come with electrified powertrain options.

The teaser shows a boxy, upright design for the upcoming SUV. Not much is visible since it’s only a silhouette but one can clearly see a C-shaped light signature at the front. The roof of the teaser also shows a design similar to the Compact Cruiser as it starts to taper off at the back. One of the few visible differences between the concept and the teaser is that the latter has a spare wheel mounted on the tailgate. Size-wise, the Land Hopper SUV is expected to be similar to the Corolla Cross, which is around 4.4 metres long.

Toyota Land Hopper global debut

While there is no official confirmation, the Land Hopper is likely to make its global debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this year.

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