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Report: Dealer Says Toyota Land Cruiser Will Exit The U.S. Market After 2021

For decades, the Toyota Land Cruiser has existed as the pinnacle of the automaker’s SUV lineup. This week, however, a dealer source told Motor Authority that Toyota’s flagship would exit the market after this upcoming model year. The source who wished to remain anonymous said, “unfortunately it’s gone, which I’m pretty bummed about. It’s a punch to the gut for all of us enthusiasts who love the product.”

TFL did reach out to Toyota for comment, and it’s worth noting they have not officially discontinued the Land Cruiser at this time. “At this time we cannot comment on speculation of future product news, as there have been no announcements with regard to the future of the Land Cruiser,” a company spokesperson said.

The current-generation model has been around since 2008. While enthusiasts do have a strong devotion toward the model, we’ve long speculated exactly what will happen with the range in the coming years. The 5.7-liter V-8 engine is a strong powerplant but returns terrible fuel economy, and we expect to see it die off with the current Tundra. With a starting price over $85,000, it’s also an expensive prospect that has inhibited sales against, say, a less expensive 4Runner. Land Cruiser sales are up in 2020 to 3,536 units, but overall the model has been a low-volume seller in part because of its price and age. It’s currently unclear how the Land Cruiser’s fate affects the Lexus LX SUV.

At the moment, the dealer source has thrown into question whether the next-generation Land Cruiser will come to the U.S. The 300 Series model will at least go on sale for global markets, and we expect that model to swap the V-8 for a turbocharged V-6 engine. Possibly, a hybrid system may make its way into Toyota’s top-end SUV model as well.

To see just how far some folks go with this legendary SUV, check out this Land Cruiser video below: