by Anthony Fongaro - Photos via Toyota - 12/02/2024
At the front, the Land Cruiser 1958 houses circular LED headlights along with a heritage Toyota badge and a think vertical grille. There is plenty of black cladding, with the Meteor Shower paint and 18-inch alloy wheels giving this boxy SUV an aggressive and handsome look. On the 1958 edition, the side mirrors and door handles are blacked out. This Land Cruiser also came with roof rails. At the rear, a black strip of trim houses a black Toyota logo along with small LED taillights and a black bumper. 1958 models come with a manually operated tailgate with a glass partition to quickly throw items in the back. An i-Force MAX badge is on the bottom right of the trunk. This is a great-looking boxy SUV that harkens to the past.
Hop inside, and the Land Cruiser shows that this is the base trim with cloth seats and a smaller infotainment system. In front of the driver is a steering wheel with controls for the small digital gauge cluster, media, and safety features. Although it isn’t very customizable, the digital gauge cluster is clear and showcases all pertinent information. Next to the driver is an 8.0-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Climate control buttons are simple to use. There are various buttons for off-roading, auto hold, and a rotary knob for the drive modes.
Land Cruiser is etched in a few places across the cabin such as the dash and behind the center console. All seats are comfortable and the rear gets their own climate control buttons. That tailgate is a little heavy and would be better if it was power-operated as it is in the higher-level Land Cruiser trim. Since the hybrid system is situated in the rear, there is a bit of a ridge and there’s no room for a third row. Still, the Land Cruiser 1958 comes with a reversing camera and plenty of tech.
Under the hood is a 2.4-liter turbocharged hybrid inline-four, producing a combined 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. Mated to an eight-speed automatic and four-wheel drive, the Land Cruiser accelerates from 0 to 60 MPH in 7.7 seconds. That number seems high, but I never found I needed more power from the engine. Acceleration is strong in all drive modes, including eco, normal, and sport. While the ride is comfortable, there is a little body roll, though it isn’t as bad as other off-road competitors. Thanks to the hybrid powertrain, the engine returned over 20 MPG.
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