Yahoo Autos Toyota 'Land Hopper' trademark filed in Japan
Toyota has filed a trademark application for something called the Land Hopper in Japan. It's unknown on what vehicle the mysterious moniker will appear, but the recent 2024 Land Cruiser presentation may offer some clues.
The trademark filing fell into the "vehicles" category and was spotted by users on the Land Cruiser Forum. This led to speculation that it might apply to one of the vehicles shown in silhouette on screen during the Land Cruiser presentation. The image appears at the 18:39 mark of the video, in which three vehicles can be seen in profile.
On the left is a short-wheelbase SUV that resembles a shortened Land Cruiser. Toyota has built in prior generations shorter, two-door versions of the Land Cruiser Prado, which is the predecessor of the U.S. market's 2024 Land Cruiser (the Prado suffix was dropped). This particular one almost looks like it could be an FJ Cruiser successor.
The vehicle on the right appears to be a large, possibly 3-row crossover. The distinct flat bodywork where a grille would normally go indicates it might have battery-electric motivation. It almost looks like a modified bZ4X.
