The Toyota Land Cruiser is quickly becoming more annoying than cool for Americans. The back and forth of will they/won’t they from the Land Cruiser is worse than Ross and Rachel. After Toyota launched the 2021 J300 Land Cruiser earlier this year and didn’t bring it to the U.S., many fans of the SUV were bummed. However, in a statement confirming the Toyota Land Cruiser would be discontinued in 2021, Toyota confirmed that it is “committed to the large SUV segment” and instructed enthusiasts to “stay tuned for future developments.” 

Is America getting a Toyota Land Cruiser? 

This question is getting exponentially more annoying to many customers. Toyota has flipped and flopped more than a fish in the bottom of a Jon boat on the Land Cruiser issue. A sleuthy photographer landed some shots and a video of a heavily camouflaged SUV stomping around California. The tightly wrapped SUV had manufacturer’s plates from Texas. It just so happens that Toyota calls Plano, Texas home. To add to the evidence, a Toyota Yaris was the follow vehicle. 

While some speculate that this could be some American version of the recently canceled, massive Toyota 4×4, there are also other options. 

Gear Patrol points out that this behemoth was rolling on six-lug wheels just like the J300 Toyota Land Cruiser’s wheels. It is clearly a large Toyota/Lexus platform, but it is tough to pin down exactly what it could be. 

Could there be a new Lexus LX? 

The Lexus LX is closely related to the new Toyota Land Cruiser. So, if we trust that Toyota will stick to its guns on the Land Cruiser, then a new LX would be a logical guess. These spy shots may suggest that to make up for pulling the LC from the American market, that Toyota has based the new Lexus LX on the J300 Land Cruiser. The size comparison is easy to see if you look at other Lexus 4x4s like the Lexus GX.

The two 4x4s have spent years running parallel to one another. Bringing the two models together again for Americans would actually make a lot of sense. 

More importantly than any other piece of evidence, the Lexus LX dramatically outsold the Land Cruiser. If we know anything to be true of automakers, it’s that what we say we like has far less to do with what gets made than what actually sells and the LX sold. 

For this reason alone, bringing a new Lexus LX to Americans would make a ton of sense, especially in the absence of the Land Cruiser. That being said, Gear Patrol wisely points out that the headlights and grille seen in the spy video look a bit different than the recently teased NX reveal. 

Toyota is making moves in the 4×4 department

After nearly 20 years, Toyota is finally making some much-needed updates to its 4×4 truck line. The new 2022 Toyota Tundra is finally getting updates from the toe to tip. New engines, interior, suspension, and many other features are coming to the full-size pickup truck. 

With that in mind, it would be strange for Toyota to neglect the big SUV segment by not giving one of them similar updates. For instance, the Toyota Sequoia is long overdue for an update as it hasn’t been significantly updated since 2008. 

So, whether a new Lexus 4×4 or some other big Toyota SUV, the spy shots show something new that should make all folks upset about the Land Cruiser jump for joy.