In the world of rugged off-road SUVs, the Toyota Land Cruiser has long been one of the more prominent nameplates in the segment. The big ‘ute quickly developed a reputation for being one of the more comfortable, spacious, and capable such vehicles available, but Toyota hasn’t exactly changed it very much for a very long time now. Couple that with dwindling sales, and it isn’t terribly surprising to learn that the Land Cruiser will be going away after the 2021 model year.
This sad fact was recently confirmed by MotorTrend, which first heard rumblings of the Land Cruiser’s demise over a year ago. Now, it has reached out to Toyota and received confirmation in a statement that somewhat leaves the door open for an eventual return for the automaker’s longest-running nameplate.
“The Toyota Land Cruiser has been a legendary name for more than 60 years,” the statement read. “While it will be discontinued in the United States after the 2021 model year, we remain committed to the large SUV segment and will continue to explore future products that celebrate the Land Cruiser’s rich off-road history. We encourage loyal enthusiasts and intrepid adventurers to stay tuned for future developments.”
Toyota’s decision to discontinue the Land Cruiser isn’t terribly surprising, but it is interesting given the current climate. Collectors are paying big bucks for classic Land Cruisers these days as off-road SUVs become more and more popular. At the same time, automakers like Ford are adding off-road SUVs and variants as quickly as possible, including the Ford Explorer Timberline, 2021 Ford Bronco, and Ford Bronco Sport, to name a few.
The aging and expensive Land Cruiser just didn’t have much to offer buyers anymore, and that’s really a shame. Toyota sold just 1,761 of them through the first three quarters of 2020 – a minuscule amount compared to the competition. If the decision to discontinue the Land Cruiser is temporary, Toyota will have to do more to increase the vehicle’s appeal before bringing it back.
Sales Numbers - Mainstream Full-Size SUVs - Q3 2020 - United States
| MODEL | Q3 20 / Q3 19 | Q3 20 | Q3 19 | Q3 20 SHARE | Q3 19 SHARE | YTD 20 / YTD 19 | YTD 20 | YTD 19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOYOTA LAND CRUISER | -27.49% | 550 | 758 | 1% | 1% | -26.19% | 1,761 | 2,386 |
| CHEVROLET SUBURBAN | -39.08% | 7,548 | 12,391 | 16% | 21% | -42.29% | 24,059 | 41,686 |
| FORD EXPEDITION | +4.39% | 19,402 | 18,586 | 40% | 31% | -16.75% | 51,747 | 62,155 |
| GMC YUKON | -46.62% | 10,002 | 18,737 | 21% | 32% | -53.65% | 24,891 | 53,707 |
| GMC YUKON XL | * | 4,071 | * | 8% | 0% | * | 13,790 | 0 |
| NISSAN ARMADA | -25.95% | 4,366 | 5,896 | 9% | 10% | -28.81% | 17,520 | 24,609 |
| TOYOTA SEQUOIA | -29.25% | 2,136 | 3,019 | 4% | 5% | -37.58% | 4,733 | 7,583 |
| TOTAL | -19.05% | 48,075 | 59,387 | -27.91% | 138,501 | 192,126 |
We’ll have more on all of Ford and Lincoln’s competition soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for ongoing Ford news coverage.
Comments
Sorry to hear that. But then again, the SEQUOIA is fairly similar. V8 engine as standard equipment and just a nice comfortable vehicle with plenty of room.
The Sequoia is even bigger and heavier than the Land Cruiser Hog. I wouldn’t even consider a Sequoia.
A luxury flagship offroader for 70k, that you don’t want to get dirty inside or scratches on the outside. If I had one, I’d baby it and never risk damaging it doing the things I do with my 21 year old 4runner. I would honestly prefer a 4runner trd pro over the Land cruiser. Anybody that wants a luxury toyota suv just buys a Lexus anyways
That’s true and good point. There is often much duplication and overlap so it makes sense since only a nameplate disappears but the vehicle remains. I’m convinced that GMC only exists so that BUICK dealers can sell trucks and SUV’s that are virtually identical to CHEVROLET. Same for many instances with LEXUS and TOYOTA having nearly identical products.
Years ago there were TOASTMASTER electric fans that were pretty much identical to ESKIMO and ZERO fans. All were built by McGRAW EDISON but the names were different for competing stores to sell them under the respective names.
Sounds familiar. I bought a Sharp TV in 1995 that could have also been bought as an Admiral. I shopped for price.
The fact is, North America don’t deserve/need land cruiser. Here You don’t have to cross river,sand ,bush to get your home . People do recreational off-roading. Perhaps 80% of off-road vehicles never saw dirt road. People wont spend 80k to get a Lc and take it for fun Keeping in mind that The land cruiser’s demand is shooting in other part of the globe . Toyota sold 300k unit globally in 2018. It is still the most trusted machine in most unforgiving terrain. It is the only vehicle UN uses. So, dont think the land cruiser is dead because its a land cruiser, its dead because people in the United states don’t need it.
Hey ‘Ford Authority’, who cares what happens to Toyota? Sheesh, another ‘recycled Chevrolet’ bites the dust. So what…
At least TOYOTA still builds sedans and not having a ton of recalls. Recycled CHEVROLET?
One less vehicle for Japan to profit off of the US. Buy your vehicles from American companies please.
Yes I agree we should try to buy American products keeping the money here. Not a big toyota fan and get tired because they advertise constantly. So I’ll keep my 17 year old f150 that can haul,tow with confidence as I did for 15 years with my last f 150.😆
Most TOYOTA products sold here are built here as well and have been for many years now. My GRAND MARQUIS was built in Canada.
I just got an FJ Cruiser. 2007. I had a F350 diesel. Good truck. Fords rust. I’m in wisconsin. My mercedes? No rust after 22 years. Toyota FJ all as solid as a new vehicle. Why won’t american car companies just build em to last? Or go the other way maybe. How bout a bic-mobile. Cheap and disposable. Excuse me, recyclable. If you need to get there take a jeep. If you need to get there and back take a toyota. Or mitsubishi.
Go visit a toyota garage, your be surprise of the problems they have as well. Maybe all you toyota lovers should just visit toyota authority. Just a suggestion😆😊😀☺😁😂.