A little over one year ago, the redesigned Toyota Land Cruiser officially debuted as a completely new take on an existing model. Rather than soldier on with the full-size SUV that it had been for some time, Toyota instead returned the Land Cruiser to its roots as a mid-size, off-road-focused SUV with boxy styling, making it a direct competitor to the Ford Bronco – albeit one only offered with a single, hybrid powertrain option. Now, it seems as if Ford is taking a closer look at the reborn Land Cruiser.
Recently, Ford Authority spotted The Blue Oval benchmarking this 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser First Edition, which – like all current Land Cruisers, is equipped with the i-Force Max hybrid powertrain. That setup consists of Toyota’s turbocharged 2.4L four-cylinder gas engine, a 48 horsepower electric motor integrated into the SUV’s eight-speed automatic transmission, and a 1.87 kWh NiMH battery pack that combine to generate a total output of 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque.
This particular Toyota Land Cruiser was wearing the tell-tale yellow number tag often affixed to Ford’s benchmarking fleet, and was spotted exiting the automaker’s Dearborn test track, after which it pulled into the engineering campus located across the street. It also comes on the heels of other brand new Toyota products Ford Authority has spotted FoMoCo benchmarking – including the redesigned 2024 Tacoma, while Toyota itself was reportedly benchmarking the new 2025 4Runner against the Ford Bronco Raptor not long ago.
Though the Ford Bronco recently beat the Toyota Land Cruiser – and Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid – in a comparison test, it isn’t currently offered with any sort of hybrid powertrain – just the turbocharged 2.3L I-4 EcoBoost and the twin-turbocharged 2.7L V6 EcoBoost, along with the twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 EcoBoost present in the Bronco Raptor. However, the entire ICE-focused Ford Blue lineup is slated to get a hybrid powertrain option by 2030, and FoMoCo may already have a ready-made one for the Bronco in the electrified 2.3L I-4 EcoBoost present in the new Ford Ranger PHEV.
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Comment
They should be tearing apart a Dolphin to see how they do it, and build a … um, Chinese copy. With Biden’s $7500 on the hood it would be a compelling deal.