Toyota's legendary Land Cruiser embraces the new while keeping a lot of the old

By Jim Bray
August 11, 2026

It's a famous off-roader that's as home on the African veldt as it is in the city, a vehicle that has taken its spot in automotive history much as has the legendary Land Rover and Mercedes G wagon. And it's still around after all these years, carrying people and their stuff to whatever far flung area to which they're heading.

Yes, the Land Cruiser, Toyota's answer to "you can't get there from here", an answer that basically says "oh, yeah, hold my sake!"

According to Robert Tsang, VP of Toyota Canada "The Land Cruiser is a legend – and today's Land Cruiser is ready to help Canadians get out and explore. The 2026 Land Cruiser features modern technology, incredible capability, and Toyota's renowned reliability. As part of Toyota's diverse lineup, the Land Cruiser stands out as a rugged, adventure-ready SUV - with the added benefit of its standard hybrid powertrain that delivers the torque, power, and fuel efficiency to take on any journey."

And, joy of joys, it bucks the recent trend to put everything on a touch screen – perhaps because its serious off-roading capability means you may be bouncing around so much that your fingers would never find the little virtual button. Whatever the reason, I was a happy camper to see this, even though I didn't do any camping with the Land Cruiser.

But as Tsang noted, it also embraces much of the new. For example, time was when the Land Cruiser was powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, and it was a peach. Now, it's a hybrid, not a full EV, thank goodness, considering the size of the African continent, the Australian Outback, etc. This is a nice splitting of the electrical difference because a hybrid can actually help increase your driving range over either an all-gas engine or an EV, and that could come in handy when you're being chased by some large and angry example of fauna.

The result is a power plant that's a tad buzzy, but which performs very well. Toyota says its i-FORCE MAX 2.4 litre turbo hybrid comes with a sealed nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) traction battery, as well as active noise control. Not sure the noise control works as expected, thanks to the buzziness, but it isn't a big deal.

Alas, whether hybrid or not, I was surprised – and not in a good way – to discover when I filled its gas tank to take it back to Toyota, that it requires premium fuel. That's good for performance, but it sucks for the wallet in these times of volatile gas prices. And I'm not sure how practical that is on the veldt, though of course I've never been there so premium pumps may be all over the place.

Still, it's an efficient package and the turbo four cranks out "326 net-system horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque", according to Toyota – who also claim Land Cruisers can tow up to 6,000 lbs. Power gets to the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The beastie is a tad bouncy on the asphalt, but that's not the place for which Land Cruisers are legendary. So, Toyota has also ensured it still has state-of-the-art off-roading technologies. That means all 2026 Land Cruisers comes with full-time four-wheel-drive, a centre locking differential, electronically-controlled two-speed transfer case, an electronic locking rear differential, and automatic limited slip differential.

If that isn't enough, you can partake of standard Crawl Control, Downhill Assist Control, Vehicle Stability Control, and a Drive Mode Select system featuring three-settings. And if that isn't enough, some trim levels also give you stuff like Multi-Terrain Select and Multi-Terrain Monitor.

For optimal handling, Land Cruiser suspensions feature double-wishbones up front, with twin-tube shocks, and a multi-link rear suspension with coil springs. The electric power steering feels fine, and the disc brakes all around (well, on the wheels…) stop the big beast well.

Land Cruisers are a tad boxy on the outside, but they always have been. Inside, where you'll spend the bulk of your time, you get a nice and comfortable cabin with multi-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, a heated leather tilt/telescoping steering wheel, and USB charging points.

Alas, they also are saddled with the Toyota Multimedia system, a bunch of "smart" connectivity technologies that Toyota says "keeps drivers informed while simplifying their lives behind the wheel. The system integrates wirelessly with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and features Toyota's newest interface, which improves interaction between people and vehicle through sight, touch, and voice."

Yeah, well it's still too reliant on touch screen stuff but not as bad as many new vehicles. In fact, I found myself yelling at it to shut up and leave me alone much less than I did in the Lexus RZ I drove before it. So, there's that.

And of course, every Land Cruiser is also shackled with Toyota's Safety Sense 3.0, which is the newest version of the company's active safety stuff – and while you can minimize the annoyance you can't shut it all off completely. This is becoming more popular among today's carmakers. Unfortunately.

You also some nannies I find quite handy, such as blind spot monitoring and a backup camera with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and even a camera washer, which I imagine will come in really handy.

Toyota Canada offers three distinct Land Cruiser models. The base one is called the 1958, and is a retro-inspired configuration paying tribute to the vehicle's honoured heritage. It comes with round LED headlamps and a heritage grille with TOYOTA spelled out in full, rather than the "big pretzel" logo the company has been using for the last couple of decades. It only has an eight-inch LCD central screen and fills it with Toyota Multimedia with Service Connect, Safety Connect, and Remote Connect. The lower end audio system features six speakers.

You get 18-inch wheels, black fabric upholstery, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, and a 2400-watt AC power outlet in the cargo area.

Next is what Toyota calls merely the Land Cruiser. It adds to the 1958 version with stuff like rectangular LED headlamps, heated outside mirrors, 18-inch alloy wheels, a power tilting/sliding moonroof, a power tailgate. Its multimedia stuff is displayed on a 12.3-inch touchscreen display and the audio system gets another two speakers. Add a power-adjustable driver's seat, power-adjustable steering column, heated and ventilated front-row seats, triple-zone automatic air conditioning, digital gauges, wireless smart device charging dock and you're getting to a pretty nice place to do the business of off-roading.

There's also a multi-terrain monitor and multi-terrain select systems, as well as a Stabilizer Disconnect Mechanism that is said to increase suspension flex at the mere push of a button.

Toyota's sample was the top line Premium package version, which adds some luxurious touches meant, I assume, to compete better with the Range Rover and G Wagon. So, you get stuff like 20-inch alloy wheels, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters that actually work, and a nice, 14-speaker JBL Premium audio system.

There's also a head's up display, digital key, the mostly annoying front cross traffic alert, lane change assist, driver monitor, traffic jam assist, a cooler in the centre console, leather upholstery, power adjustable front row seats, driver's seat memory system, and a digital rearview mirror.

I was surprised, pleasantly, to notice that not all of the vehicle's setting can be tweaked via the central LCD. In fact, most of the stuff is done via buttons on the steering wheel and using the digital instrument panel. Real buttons! Just like with the HVAC system!

Fixed running boards helped me get in and out and the interior as a whole is quite comfortable and efficient.

Pricing for the Land Cruiser 1958 starts at $71,055. The middle model starts at $79,825 and the top line Land Cruiser Premium Package comes in a $86,042. Toyota's sample came in at $86,892.

I hadn't driven a Land Cruiser in decades and am glad to see Toyota still offers the vehicle as a robust off-roader that's capable of going head-to-head with other legendary competitors.