Toyota Believes There's Room For Both The Land Cruiser And The 4Runner

Toyota is continuing to break into the off-road SUV market with two massive drops: the all-new 4Runner and the all-new Land Cruiser. Both SUVs boast rugged off-road chops, they sit on the same TNGA-F truck platform, and they even share several similar components. Are there really distinct enough audiences to appeal to both of these highly similar machines? I had to find out.

During Toyota’s big drive event for the Land Cruiser, Tacoma hybrid, new Camry and Crown Signia, I spoke to Kalifa Sprowl, senior marketing planner for the Land Cruiser, about the ultimate goals for the Land Cruiser, especially as it sits within Toyota’s greater body-on-frame landscape.

“All of our vehicles have a certain personality that appeals to a certain type of buyer,” Sprowl said. “The 4Runner and Land Cruiser are interesting in that they play in such a growing segment, so we’re speaking to several different customers with our vehicles. The differentiating factor between the two is that if you want something more rugged and more off-road-y, something that has capability baked in and still a great overall style, you’re probably looking at the 4Runner versus the Land Cruiser. If you still want that capability and off-road confidence with a little more refined elegance, you’re looking more toward a Land Cruiser.”

To better illustrate what Sprowl means, let’s take a look at the two TNGA-F SUVs side by side, starting with their similarities. Both feature Toyota’s turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a hybrid system; as a result, both will make 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. Both have 112.2-inch wheelbases and an eight-speed automatic transmission, and both vehicles offer four-wheel drive, though only the 4Runner has a two-wheel-drive option. Both have the same 6,000-lb towing capacity.