Preliminary information suggests that the new Japanese SUV may be named Land Hopper. It is expected that this model will be similar in size to the Corolla Cross.
The presentation of the new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (known simply as Land Cruiser in some markets) was rich in novelties. In addition to the SUV itself, the company introduced an updated version of the Land Cruiser 70, and amidst the presentation, a couple of teasers for future models were revealed. One of these, judging by the silhouette, appears to be a small vehicle with squared-off shapes.
Toyota FJ Cruiser (Final Edition)
It is not excluded that the teaser might be hiding the future successor to the FJ Cruiser, which has been rumored to make a comeback on the global market for some time now. Recall that the FJ Cruiser debuted in 2006, left its main market, the United States, in 2014, disappeared from the Japanese lineup in 2017, and in October of last year, the FJ Cruiser was discontinued in the Middle East market (at that time, 1000 Final Edition special edition vehicles were released for customers in Saudi Arabia).
Official details about the vehicle shown in the teaser are not available at the moment. It is possible that the image hints at the Toyota Compact Cruiser EV – this concept was first revealed at the end of 2021 as part of Toyota’s green strategy, which aims to introduce 30 new electric vehicles under the Toyota and Lexus brands by the beginning of the next decade. Additional images of the Compact Cruiser EV were published in the summer of 2022.
Toyota FJ Cruiser (Final Edition)
It is known that a few weeks after the Prado presentation, Toyota filed a trademark registration for the name “Land Hopper.” It is possible that this name will be used for the compact body-on-frame SUV. According to the Japanese publication Best Car, the compact SUV may be similar in size to the Corolla Cross, which has dimensions of approximately 4490 mm in length, 1825 mm in width, and 1620 mm in height for the domestic market version. It is expected that the new model will be based on a shortened version of the GA-F platform.
Toyota Compact Cruiser EV
One of the most intriguing speculations from the Japanese publication is regarding the potential powertrain options for the compact SUV. It is noted that the compact SUV could be equipped with traditional gasoline engines as well as hybrid powertrains. According to unconfirmed information, the Toyota Land Hopper may borrow technology either from the Corolla Cross, including the 1.8-liter engine and its hybrid variants, or from the RAV4, which includes a 2.0-liter engine and an electrified version based on the 2.5-liter engine.
It is anticipated that in a few years, the lineup will expand to include a fully electric version. The top-tier model of this body-on-frame SUV will likely feature all-wheel drive, meaning it will have at least two electric motors, one on each axle. However, it’s also possible that the base variant will have just one electric motor (and thus, one driven axle).
One of the most notable recent introductions from the brand is the luxurious Toyota Century crossover. This all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid is currently only available in the domestic market. The price tag of this new model is three times higher than the cost of the large Land Cruiser 300 SUV.
