Toyota Land Cruiser India Return Confirmed

2018 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Launched — The Prado is the affordable(!) Land Cruiser SUV

The Toyota Land Cruiser India return has been confirmed by the Japanese automaker and the country would be all the better for it.

Followers of the brand would know that Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) discontinued the Land Cruiser that was priced at Rs. 1.29 crores and the Land Cruiser Prado, priced at Rs. 94.4 lakhs (prices ex-showroom), before the BS6 norms kicked in.

Now, TKM Senior Vice President Naveen Soni has revealed that the Land Cruiser brand will return to India “definitely in some form, shape, (or) size”.

This means either the (arguably) comparatively affordable Prado or the flagship Land Cruiser will make its way to India. Maybe both SUVs will get launched, we will have to wait and see.

While that is the latest development about the Toyota Land Cruiser India return, the carmaker has also been caught testing the Land Cruiser facelift. Spotted last month, the facelift will mark the end of the road for the current generation and is expected to sport a “Final Edition” tag.

It will come with a redesigned grille with a single chrome slat in the place of multiple ones, the air dam has changed and so has the placement of the fog lights. The headlights are LED units, while it will also get a sunroof and new alloy wheels.

Under the large bonnet, the 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser might ditch the tried and tested 4.5-litre V8 that put out 261 HP and 650 Nm in favour of a new in-line 6-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. A hybrid might even be on the cards.

The SUV is likely to go on sale in global market towards the end of this year and possibly come to India next year. Let us keep our fingers crossed.