Price premium expected for LandCruiser Hybrid

TOYOTA is set to launch the petrol-electric hybrid LandCruiser 300 Series in Australia next March (2026) in high-grade Sahara ZX and GR Sport grades, with the importer telling local media that buyers can expect to pay more for the privilege of going green.

While Toyota Australia executives did not elaborate on pricing or specification for the hybridised range, they said a “slight price premium” was to be expected, taking the starting price of the duo from $146,910 and $146,160 plus on-road costs respectively, to a figure that is potentially in the $160,000 range.

“Clearly this performance hybrid (model) will have a slight premium on it over a conventional hybrid and ICE engine,” said Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley.

“But having said that, it is a really competitive market right now … and it will still remain in a competitive position when pricing is announced next year.”

When asked whether the LandCruiser 300 Series Hybrid will cost more than the Toyota Tundra Hybrid – with which it shares both its underpinnings and driveline – Mr Hanley said simply, “I am not sure yet, we will announce that at the time”.

Adding to his colleague’s comments, Toyota Australia senior product planning manager Austin Ward said Australian buyers will have to wait until early in the new year before full details of the LandCruiser 300 Series Hybrid are revealed.

“So, we will be releasing further specifications closer to the (March) launch. We are still a number of months away for Land Cruiser 300 Series Hybrid, and we will share that with you in due course,” he reiterated.

While already available in other markets, including the Middle East, the specifications of the Land Cruiser 300 Series Hybrid are, according to Toyota Australia executives, subject to change.

“At this stage, performance is obviously the main driver for this product,” added Mr Ward.

“We have only got this model available in our two top grades – we are really positioning it as a hero product of the LC 300 range.

“There will be minor differences between the Australian specification (from that of the Middle East market). Obviously, every market has its own variation on spec. But as I said, we’ll have more information to share as we get closer (to the model’s local launch).”

Toyota says the introduction of the five-seat Land Cruiser 300 Series Hybrid marks an important step in its multi-pathway approach towards electrification, offering customers a choice of powertrain technologies to support their varied lifestyles.

The model will join the existing turbo-diesel LandCruiser 300 Series range in giving customers “a level of performance never before offered on the nameplate”.

Indeed, the combination of a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, electric motor, 10-speed automatic transmission and full-time all-wheel drive will offer LandCruiser 300 Series buyers a substantial increase in performance when weighed against the twin-turbocharged 3.3-litre V6 diesel and its 227kW/700Nm of output.

Middle East market specifications for the LandCruiser 300 Series Hybrid show a power figure of 336kW and a torque value of 790Nm, gifting the model with a 0-100km/h time of just 6.4 seconds. That makes it faster than the 369kW/700Nm twin-turbocharged Nissan Patrol Nismo on sale in the Middle East, which clocks the triple-figure standard in 6.6 seconds.

Further details on the new 2026 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series Hybrid will be made closer to its Australian introduction in March next year.