2022 Toyota Land Cruiser Engine Options Leaked, But There's No V8

The latest LC300 intel suggests a world premiere is happening late this month or June 1, so it comes as no surprise the leaks are intensifying. Following yesterday's massive leak confirming the GR Sport and some of the technology available inside, a juicy section of the technical specifications sheet has somehow escaped online weeks before the premiere.

The folks behind the land.cruiser.300 account on Instagram got a hold of the table showing the two engines Toyota will be offering at launch. Without further ado, a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 gasoline unit will deliver 409 horsepower (305 kilowatts) from 5,200 rpm and 480 pound-feet (650 Newton-meters) of torque between 2,000 rpm and 3,600 rpm.

Thanks to the adoption of forced induction, it outpunches the naturally aspirated 5.7-liter of the outgoing model. In the LC200, the V8 produces its maximum horsepower of 381 hp and 401 lb-ft (544 Nm) of torque significantly later in the rpm range, at 5,600 rpm and 3,600 rpm, respectively. At the same time, the turbocharged engine should prove to be significantly more economical than the thirsty NA V8.

As for the other powertrain, it's a 3.3-liter diesel V6 rated at 302 hp (225 kW) from 4,000 rpm and a healthy 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) between 1,600 rpm and 2,600 rpm. The table also shows the boost in output (+30 kW and +50 Nm) over the old diesel, a 4.5-liter V8 twin-turbodiesel.

The V8's death doesn't come as a big surprise as reports have been swirling around for more than a year about a new turbo V6 serving as a replacement. That said, a Toyota patent from September 2020 hinted at a new twin-turbo V8, possibly for Lexus models. In February 2020, a Toyota insider told us the engine will be installed in models priced at $90,000 and above, with the LC-F getting it first in 2022.

While a twin-turbo V8 Land Cruiser would be nice, we wouldn't hold our breath for it. The silver lining is these new V6 gasoline and diesel engines are packing some serious punch over the older larger units while likely bringing better fuel efficiency and greater low-end power.

Another Day, Another Leak: