Rumors from Japan suggest Toyota is quietly working on a Land Cruiser–based pickup that could finally give American buyers the factory off-road truck they have been asking for. The idea would merge the Land Cruiser’s global reputation for durability with the practicality of a midsize bed, slotting into a U.S. market that is suddenly crowded with adventure-focused pickups. For now, the project remains unconfirmed, but the surrounding moves in Toyota’s lineup make the prospect harder to dismiss.
Why a Land Cruiser pickup rumor is gaining traction now
The timing of this rumored truck is not accidental. Toyota has just rebooted the Land Cruiser nameplate in the United States with a smaller, more affordable SUV, and the brand is clearly trying to stretch that badge across more segments. The current Toyota Land Cruiser on sale here is positioned as a modern, electrified off-roader rather than a plush luxury wagon, which opens the door to more utilitarian spinoffs that lean into heritage and trail capability instead of leather and chrome.
At the same time, reports from Japan are pointing to a broader strategy around the Land Cruiser family. According to Reports out of Japan, Toyota is developing two new Land Cruisers, one an SUV and the other a pickup truck, which would expand the nameplate beyond its traditional wagon roots. Those same reports tie the future models to concept vehicles shown in 2023 and to a broader investment push, suggesting this is not a one-off experiment but part of a long-term plan to keep Land Cruisers relevant in multiple body styles.
What the Japanese rumor mill is actually saying
The latest wave of speculation centers on a story from the Japanese outlet Best Car, which has a long history of mixing accurate scoops with optimistic guesses. The rumor describes a Land Cruiser–branded pickup aimed directly at markets like North America, where lifestyle trucks dominate sales charts. I see the appeal: a factory-built Land Cruiser truck would give Toyota a halo off-roader that sits above the Tacoma in image, even if it shares some hardware underneath.
Even the U.S. coverage of this rumor is careful to stress that it should be treated cautiously. One analysis notes that it is important to take Best Car rumors with a grain of salt, while also acknowledging that independent sources have heard similar whispers about a Land Cruiser pickup for America. That same reporting connects the chatter to Toyota’s recent EPU Concept in the United States, which shows the company is actively exploring new truck formats for this market, even if the final product names and shapes are still in flux.
How the modern Land Cruiser lineup sets the stage
To understand why a pickup variant suddenly feels plausible, it helps to look at how Toyota has repositioned the Land Cruiser in the United States. The latest generation is no longer a six-figure luxury SUV, but a more attainable off-road model that leans on hybrid power and rugged styling. On Toyota’s own site, the 2026 Toyota Land Cruiser is presented with an Overview that emphasizes trail capability and heritage design rather than opulence, signaling a shift toward enthusiasts who might also be interested in a work-ready or overlanding-focused truck.
Official specifications reinforce that pivot. In a detailed release, Toyota describes the 2026 Land Cruiser as Built to Explore and Designed to Impress, with an output of 326 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque from its hybrid powertrain. The same document notes a Starting MSRP figure starting at $57,200, which positions the Land Cruiser as a premium but not unattainable off-roader. Those numbers, 326 and 465, suggest a powertrain that could easily be adapted to a midsize or slightly larger pickup, giving Toyota a ready-made engine and marketing story if it chooses to extend the badge into a truck.
The long shadow of the Land Cruiser 70 and U.S. import hurdles
Any discussion of a Land Cruiser pickup for America has to reckon with the Land Cruiser 70 and its complicated relationship with this market. Globally, the 70 has become shorthand for indestructible, no-frills utility, and it has been offered in multiple pickup configurations for decades. A detailed breakdown of the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series, published on May 8, 2024, walks through Prices, Specs, and Pictures for the 70 and underscores how All of the images come from Toyota, highlighting how carefully the company curates this workhorse’s image. The simple fact that the number 70 still carries so much weight among enthusiasts shows how strong the appetite is for a back-to-basics Land Cruiser truck.
For years, the main barrier to bringing that kind of vehicle here has been regulatory and financial rather than technical. A Dec 1, 2023 analysis of why The Toyota Land Cruiser 70 is not coming to the U.S. points directly to the so-called chicken tax on imported trucks and to the cost of reengineering the model to meet American safety and emissions rules. That piece explains what Problems the chicken tax creates for a low-volume import and notes that Toyota has never publicly given any reasoning for doing so in the case of the 70, which helps explain why the company might prefer to engineer a new Land Cruiser pickup on a platform already designed for U.S. regulations instead of trying to federalize the existing 70.
Regulators, heritage approvals, and what they signal
Regulatory attitudes toward the Land Cruiser nameplate are also shifting in ways that could matter for a future pickup. In a notable decision, federal agencies have signed off on the Land Cruiser 70 for limited U.S. use. A report dated Mar 31, 2025 notes that The Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series is Finally Coming to the U.S., with DOT and NHTSA approval paving the way for the 70 to be sold on American roads starting in late 2025. That decision, which explicitly references the number 70 and describes the move as a Historic Approval, shows that regulators are willing to accommodate a heritage Land Cruiser product when the manufacturer and agencies can agree on the terms.
I read that green light less as a direct template for a mass-market pickup and more as a signal that the Land Cruiser brand has institutional goodwill in Washington. If DOT and NHTSA are comfortable with a carefully controlled 70 Series program, it strengthens the case that a new Land Cruiser pickup, engineered from day one to U.S. standards, would not face unusual regulatory headwinds. Instead, the main questions would be commercial: how to price it relative to the Tacoma and Tundra, and how to balance nostalgia with modern safety and emissions requirements.
Baby Land Cruiser moves and what they reveal about Toyota’s strategy
While the pickup rumor grabs headlines, Toyota is already expanding the Land Cruiser family in other directions. The company has confirmed a smaller, retro-styled model often referred to as the Land Cruiser FJ, aimed at buyers who want truck-like capability in a more compact package. One detailed preview notes that While the platform should deliver truck-like capability, it also means the Land Cruiser FJ will not be coming to the Unit ed States, despite the strong following of the FJ Cruiser here. That decision underlines how selective Toyota is being about which Land Cruiser variants it sends to America, even as it experiments globally.
Another report from Oct 19, 2025 spells out the plan in even clearer terms. Under the headline that Toyota Will Actually Build a Baby Land Cruiser, the piece explains that the New FJ Model Won t Be Sold on Our Shores, even though the Baby Land Cruiser concept has generated intense interest. For me, that contrast is telling: Toyota is willing to leave some Land Cruiser derivatives off the U.S. table, which suggests that if it does commit to a Land Cruiser pickup here, it will be because the business case is unusually strong, not because the company is chasing every possible niche.
Enthusiast buzz, YouTube leaks, and the 2028 pickup chatter
Outside of official channels, the Land Cruiser community is already treating a future pickup as almost inevitable. Influencers and commentators have seized on every hint of change in the lineup, from styling tweaks to concept trucks, and turned them into long-form speculation. One widely shared video titled along the lines of Toyota just broke the rulebook with the new Land Cruiser argues that the latest redesign marks a new historical chapter for the Cruiser nameplate, with the host describing how the Cruiser is evolving into a broader family of vehicles rather than a single flagship SUV. That kind of commentary may not be official, but it reflects a real shift in how fans see the brand: as a flexible platform that can support wagons, baby SUVs, and, potentially, trucks.
Another video, posted on Oct 24, 2025, goes even further by claiming that a 2028 Toyota Land Cruiser pickup truck has effectively been revealed in the pages of a Japanese magazine. The host cites information from Best Car magazine and tells viewers that there will be a model called a Land Cruis er pickup, treating the scoop as a near certainty. In that clip, which has circulated widely among off-road forums, the presenter points to Land Cruis rumors as evidence that Toyota is already deep into planning for a truck that would arrive around 2028. I view those claims as unverified based on available sources, but they do show how hungry the audience is for any sign that a Land Cruiser pickup is real.
What a Land Cruiser pickup would need to succeed in America
If Toyota does pull the trigger on a Land Cruiser pickup for the U.S., it will have to thread a narrow needle. The truck would need to justify a premium over the Tacoma without stepping on the Tundra’s toes, all while staying true to the Land Cruiser’s reputation for durability and off-road prowess. The current Land Cruiser’s hybrid powertrain, with its 326 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque, already looks like a strong candidate for such a vehicle, especially if paired with a robust four-wheel-drive system and a bed sized for overlanding gear rather than pure worksite duty.
Pricing would be just as delicate. With the Land Cruiser’s Starting MSRP listed at $ 57,200 in Toyota’s own Info and Overview materials, a pickup variant could easily push into the low to mid sixty-thousand-dollar range once options are added. That would place it squarely in competition with high-spec midsize trucks and entry-level full-size off-road trims from rivals. To make that math work, Toyota would likely lean heavily on the Land Cruiser name, the promise of global-tested durability, and the idea that buyers are getting a truck that is Built to Explore and Designed to Impress straight from the factory, rather than a Tacoma that needs thousands of dollars in aftermarket upgrades.
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