Plans are reportedly in place for Toyota to reveal a new ‘baby’ Land Cruiser at the Japan Mobility Show later this month, that’s at least according to multiple Japanese publications.
Reports from Best Car Web and Magazine X suggest that the new model will be a production version of the Compact Cruiser Concept revealed in 2021.
We are yet to know what the model’s official name will be, but we expect it’ll be of the small variety such as ‘Mini’ while Toyota itself has even referred to the vehicle as the “Yaris Cruiser” and “LiteCruiser” in its internal communications.
The compact four-wheel drive is said to ride on a ladder-frame chassis that could be host to a hybrid or electric powertrain.
If Toyota were to go down the hybrid route as it did with the new Land Cruiser Prado, it would no doubt appeal to a larger target audience. The final choice of motive power would come down to the respective markets it’s sold in though.
With that being said, the ‘baby’ Land Cruiser could come with a 2.0-litre petrol engine from the Corolla, all the way up to the 2.8-litre diesel out of the Hilux.
We expect that the new model will be a direct competitor to the five-door Jimny, however, the Toyota won’t quite be as small and could measure up to 400mm longer.
The small but mighty Toyota Land Cruiser is said to make its big reveal at the upcoming Japan Mobility Show, held from October 26 to November 5, 2023.
