Six-cylinder oiler for Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series

Contrary to recent reports, the next-generation 2021 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series will not be offered with the 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine from the Toyota HiLux, Prado and Fortuner – at least not in Australia.

In fact, the new eight-seat 4WD will likely get a new high-torque six-cylinder turbo-diesel – probably a V6 – along with a twin-turbo 3.5-litre petrol V6 eventually available in petrol-electric hybrid form.

Originally slated for a July 2020 reveal but now pushed back to 2021, the LC300 is expected on sale in Australia sometime next year.

But unlike the Nissan Patrol, Toyota's flagship SUV will not be a petrol-only proposition.

Information from an insider close to the project confirmed to carsales that the company will at least match if not better the power and torque outputs currently offered by the 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 (200kW/650Nm) – and that this level of performance will almost certainly be achieved with a new six-cylinder diesel.

Rumours that the tweaked 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (currently worth 130kW/450Nm), to be revealed in the upgraded Hilux ute later this year, would go into the 2021 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series therefore appear as likely as a blizzard in the Nullabor.

The four-cylinder HiLux engine, which has been mired in DPF controversy, is not on the radar as a possibility for our LC300, said our source, who made the point that Toyota is not known for overstressing its engines – something it would have to do if the LandCruiser employed the downsized diesel engine.

That said, reports of the four-pot LandCruiser may relate to other markets with tighter emissions regulations, or are simply confusing the LC300 with the smaller Toyota LandCruiser Prado.

We’re told that the majority of current 200 Series owners have indicated they are interested in the next-generation LandCruiser – the name of which is yet to be confirmed – and Toyota Australia knows it has to get the iconic 4x4 model right in its third largest market globally.

As we’ve reported previously, there will be a hybrid powertrain based around the LC300’s new petrol V6, but our latest intel suggests the first LandCruiser hybrid will not be available from launch – or for a couple of years at least.

Toyota Australia has promised the new LandCruiser 300 will be fit for purpose, so expect it to at least maintain the LC200’s 3500kg towing capacity. Therefore a hybrid V6 powertrain will need seriously beefy electric motors with plenty of cooling.

The hybrid versions of the RAV4 and Camry tow less than their conventional counterparts because Toyota doesn't want to overload their electric motors. The LandCruiser 300's hybrid system needs to be a far more robust mechanism and this is something the brand does not want to rush.

Reports from the US that the next LandCruiser, which has been undergoing testing in secret locally for the past few years, will be a stripped-back, rough-and-ready off-road 4x4 with few luxury appointments also appear to be wide of the mark, at least in this market.

The Japanese brand has the LandCruiser 70 Series for utilitarian purposes and Toyota is expected to continue offering $100,000-plus premium versions of the LandCruiser when the 300 Series model lobs.

Traditionally, the LandCruiser has been a vehicle that appeals to Aussie families as well as those who tow, work on the land and seek adventure, so it must maintain a nominal level of overall comfort.

The new LandCruiser will reportedly be based on a ladder-frame architecture closely related to the rugged new TNGA-F platform that will underpin the new 2021 Toyota Tundra full-size pick-up, which could be produced in right-hand drive for Australia in the US for the first time.

The TNGA-F platform is also expected to underpin several other future Toyota models, including the next-generation 2022 Fortuner (Asia’s version of the US 4Runner) and the next-generation HiLux and Tacoma utes, both of which are reportedly due in 2024.

The new TNGA platform will gift the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series with improved on- and off-road abilities along with a comprehensive tech upgrade that will include several autonomous driving aids. The new diesel should also reduce fuel consumption.