Toyota Land Cruiser EV 2027: prototype spotted, unibody chassis expected

© A. Krivonosov / SPEEDME

Toyota may have started testing its first production electric Land Cruiser. A camouflaged crossover was photographed at the Tahara plant next to the Land Cruiser 300 GR Sport, and the shot was posted by Andrea Carlucci, Toyota Europe’s Director of Marketing and Product Strategy, captioned: “The Legend evolves.” The model name and powertrain type have not been officially disclosed.

The headlight shape, body proportions and lower front bumper resemble the Land Cruiser Se concept Toyota unveiled in 2023. An extra vent at the front of the prototype leaves several possibilities open: it could be for cooling test equipment, a traction battery, or a powertrain with a range extender. For now it’s only speculation — Toyota hasn’t even confirmed the car belongs to the Se family.

The concept differed noticeably from familiar Land Cruisers. Instead of a ladder frame, Toyota used a unibody chassis focused primarily on quietness, handling and city driving — Toyota has previously been reported to be considering a unibody switch for an electric off-roader. The seven-seat vehicle measured 5,150 mm long, 1,990 mm wide and 1,705 mm tall, with a 3,050 mm wheelbase. An electric powertrain was confirmed, but the company didn’t disclose output, battery capacity or range.

If the production version keeps this architecture, it won’t be an electric counterpart to the body-on-frame 70, 250 or 300 Series, but a separate, large crossover under the Land Cruiser name. A unibody chassis would allow for a roomier cabin and a lower center of gravity, but it will be harder to prove the newcomer can handle prolonged heavy-duty use at the level of the family’s classic models. Toyota itself continues to describe reliability, repairability and off-road capability as the foundation of the Land Cruiser name.

The family is expanding in opposite directions at once. In May, Toyota launched the compact, body-on-frame Land Cruiser FJ in Japan, measuring 4,575 mm long. The smallest Land Cruiser kept a ladder frame and four-wheel drive.

The launch timing, markets, battery specs and even the production name of the electric SUV remain unknown. So the published photo, for now, only confirms testing of a large Toyota prototype — its transformation into a Land Cruiser EV remains the most logical, but still unofficial, theory.