The US-market Toyota Land Cruiser 250 gets a nice little off-road upgrade

When people think of the Toyota Land Cruiser, most would probably say that it’s a comfortable and close-to-luxury SUV. Enthusiasts, however, will always talk about its capability, and that’s something that Toyota is boosting for the United States.

The Japanese automaker has announced a bunch of updates for the US-spec Toyota Land Cruiser 250, sold here in the Philippines as the Land Cruiser Prado, for the 2027 model year. And before you say this isn’t relevant to our market, we’re talking from an enthusiast’s perspective.

So what’s new?

Added as a factory option for the US market is a high-mounted air intake. Now do note that while it may look like a snorkel, it doesn’t function like one as it isn’t water tight. It still looks good though and will definitely please those who want to add a rugged touch to their vehicles.

Another addition for the 2027 model year is a new Inked exterior color. Essentially black, this is similar to the Black Mica color option that’s available in our market. Rear occupants will also appreciate the addition of heated and ventilated second row seats.

There is one feature that isn’t new but is something we want for our market. That’s its i-Force Max Hybrid powertrain, composed of a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine and an electric motor placed between the engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. This is good for 326 horsepower and 630Nm of torque.

Now again, these updates may not seem relevant to our market, but it doesn’t hurt to wish. Would you like to see the high-mounted air intake as an accessory, or the heated and ventilated seats added to our local Toyota Land Cruiser Prado? How about that i-Force Max Hybrid powertrain?

_{Photos from Toyota}