2024 Toyota Land Cruiser: the Legend
With a history spanning decades, the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is the longest-running Toyota model still in production, today. First introduced in 1951, it’s had a long road to get where it is today. Read on with the SUV experts here at Westminster Toyota as we take a journey down memory lane, and look at a little bit of the history of the off-roading legend, the Toyota Land Cruiser.
50’s: The Original Classic
In 1951, Toyota introduced their variant of the Jeep. A 4×4 SUV, the name was quickly changed to the Land Cruiser when they discovered Jeep was a trademarked name, not just a type of vehicle. The first Land Cruiser was the heavy-duty Toyota BJ, produced from 1951 to 1955, and classified for the B-series engine it was equipped with. The same year it first rolled out, two Land Cruisers also ascended Mt. Fuji up to its sixth hill station, 8,200 feet up! This cemented its off-roading pedigree, and put its name in the history books.
60’s: The Station Wagon Era
Starting in 1967, Toyota rolled out the FJ55G and FJ55V, two Land Cruisers designed as station wagons; some of the first to hit the market, blazing a trail for other station wagons to start appearing in other model lines. The Land Cruiser station wagon proved popular enough that it has continued to be an option until today, with the J200 series.
90’s: The Light Duty Prado
A third style of Land Cruiser started production in 1990, when demand picked up a more compact style of SUV, especially in the European Market. This was the introduction of the J70 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. The 90’s was also when Toyota started entering the Land Cruiser into the gruelling Dakar Rally, a desert race across one of the world’s most inhospitable terrains. It’s such a demanding rally, half the contenders never finish. Toyota’s Land Cruiser finishes though, and has won multiple times. Popular and capable, the light duty Prado style Land Cruiser also remains in production today.
The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser
If you want a capable mid-size SUV that is as at home on the street as it is on the trails, you should be behind the wheel of the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser. With a 2.4L i-FORCE Hybrid MAX powertrain with 326 horsepower, and a max towing capacity of 6,000 lbs, it’s as capable as it’s ever been. Plus, it’s been given a total redesign to give it a modern aesthetic, while still having that iconic Land Cruiser profile. Safe, reliable, and packed with modern technology, the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is ready to take you on your next adventure.
Shop Your Toyota Land Cruiser With Westminster Toyota
Visit our showroom to see the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser up close, or book a test drive today! When it’s time to buy your next SUV, we hope Westminster Toyota in New Westminster, BC, is your first choice!