The Real Toyota Land Cruiser Could Soon Get Plug-in Hybrid Power

Key Points

• The Land Cruiser 300 Series may get a new plug-in hybrid powertrain option.
• Toyota's existing 3.5-liter V6 PHEV could power the future plug-in hybrid model.
• Packaging challenges and market demand may affect plug-in hybrid versions for Land Cruiser and LX.

More Engine Choices for the Land Cruiser

It’s no secret that America is missing out on the 300 Series Land Cruiser. The only way to get it stateside is to visit your nearest Lexus dealer and choose the LX. Well, not enough people bought the 200 Series in the U.S, hence the decision to repurpose the smaller Prado version stateside instead.

The real Land Cruiser is stacked with several engine options. There’s the familiar 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6, a 3.5-liter twin-turbo diesel, and more recently, a six-cylinder hybrid. Now, reports from Japan suggest there will be a fourth powertrain option down the line.

Electrified, And Then Some

Toyota practically started the whole hybrid game rolling when it introduced the Prius in 1997. So it’s no surprise that, nearly 30 years later, just about every Toyota product is available with an electrified option. Inevitably, it came to the Land Cruiser, and the first hybrid version came out in mid-2025 before reaching Europe just recently.

Perhaps not content with that, Japanese publication Creative Trend has claimed that a plug-in hybrid model for the large SUV is coming soon. There’s no specific timeline yet, but there is a possibility it’s true.

Toyota already has the hardware to make that happen. It already has the 3.5-liter V6 PHEV in the TX550+ that already makes 404 hp, which should be enough to shift the Land Cruiser’s portly weight around. That same setup is used in the Century SUV with slightly more horsepower. But should the 300 Series get that arrangement, hopefully with ponies above 500 hp, we highly doubt it’ll use an e-CVT given that Land Cruisers have a reputation to uphold.

Will the Lexus LX Get it Too?

It should make sense, right? Besides, the Land Cruiser and LX are mechanically identical, anyway. Well, there’s no word about it, even in the rumor mill, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the same hardware was applied to Lexus’ flagship SUV. Of course, it’s not as simple as slapping in the plug-in hybrid bits and calling it a day.

For both the LX and the Land Cruiser, we must ask whether there is actual demand for plug-in hybrid versions of the two models. It’s an interesting thought, yes, but won’t necessarily translate into sales. Also, there will be packaging challenges in building a plug-in hybrid ladder frame vehicle, and it could result in less cargo space and the deletion of third-row seats.