Toyota Could Be Preparing Its Most Controversial Land Cruiser Variant Yet

A unibody-based Land Cruiser pickup EV. Yep, you read that correctly.

Front view of a white Toyota Land Cruiser featuring a bold black grille with "TOYOTA" lettering and a red GR badge, sleek LED headlights, and rugged off-road tires with "OPEN COUNTRY A/T" branding on the sidewall.

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Published 2 hours ago

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Toyota may be brewing up the unthinkable by working on a unibody-based Land Cruiser pickup electric vehicle. The rumor hails from Japan’s BestCar magazine, where the outlet reportedly got the scoop when the latest Land Cruiser FJ debuted.

According to the report, BestCar learned that Toyota’s secretly working on the EV, despite having openly admitted its reluctance towards electrification. Over the past several years, while other automakers dumped all their eggs in the electrification basket, Toyota took a more contrarian approach.

But now, it doesn’t seem so turned away from the effort.

Reviving the Land Cruiser pickup

Vintage military-style off-road vehicle with canvas top and rugged tires. — The 1955 Toyota “Jeep” BJ, the Land Cruiser’s predecessor, was technically a pickup.

Today, a Land Cruiser-based pickup might seem really far-fetched. But considering the model’s nameplate, it actually isn’t

When it first launched back in 1951, the Land Cruiser actually started life as a rugged, simple and utilitarian two-door Jeep-like pickup with a soft top.

Beige vintage pickup truck on a wet sandy beach pulling green fishing nets with ocean waves in the background. — The FJ 40 pickup was one of the most popular bodystyles of the series.

By the time the Land Cruiser evolved for more mainstream action in 1955, resulting in the FJ 20, it evolved into a family featuring four different bodystyles. One of them was a two-door pickup.

The Land Cruiser pickup continued through the FJ 40 and FJ 70 models before morphing into a full-fledged five-door SUV. The latter didn’t happen until the Land Cruiser adopted a “station wagon-style” body in 1967, resulting in the FJ 50.

Blue Toyota Land Cruiser pickup truck driving on a dirt road through a green forest. — Today, Toyota still makes an FJ 70-based pickup, but only for select markets.

Once the FJ50 came to life, the world became accustomed to the Land Cruiser as being a conventional SUV as we know it today. Toyota continues making an FJ70-based pickup for specific markets and fleet sales.

But by and large, the rest of the world’s Land Cruisers are typical five-door SUVs, utilizing truck-based body-on-frame constructions.

The world’s first unibody Land Cruiser could be happening

Blue double-cab pickup truck with spare tire mounted inside bed carrying logs and safety gear on grassy field. — The classic FJ 70 is favored for is ruggedness and capabilities.

Which is why, the news about a unibody-based model would be, by far, one of the most radical changes to the model in its entire history. According to BestCar, the supposed new Land Cruiser EV pickup will make use of Toyota’s latest e-TNGA modular platform.

That means it would be required to be a unibody since that’s the platform Toyota created specifically for its line of electric vehicles. It would be a first in Toyota’s and the Land Cruiser’s history.

White pickup truck parked on a steep dirt hill with people carrying large sacks. — Go to the furthest corners of the world and you’ll likely see an FJ 70 Land Cruiser pickup putting in serious work.

The Japanese auto giant is looking to expand and build off of the Land Cruiser’s repertoire. But rather than sticking to a heavy and clunky body-on-frame structure, the plan is to use e-TNGA as it seems like the most logical path forward for an all-electric pickup.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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