Toyota LandCruiser Prado ROX ute busts out
And brawny Toyota 4Runner Surf concept joins radical LC250 truck at the SEMA show in Las VegasToyota has showcased two wild SUV-based utes it will unwrap at the 2024 SEMA show in Las Vegas next week, showcasing the brand's in-house engineering capabilities – and perhaps even hinting at future product direction.
One of them is a bonkers ute based on the inbound Toyota LandCruiser Prado 250 Series <<< /toyota-prado-250-series-2024-review-international-145461/ >>> that will be on sale in Australia from around November.
The striking concept car is dubbed the LandCruiser ROX, an SUV-based ute that is the work of the Japanese car brand's Calty design studio based in California.
Said to immerse occupants with the environment around them, the LandCruiser ROX has seen engineers remove the new Prado's C- and D-pillar and ditch the roof entirely.
Maintaining the SUV's structural rigidity, there's a new roll cage added, while there's said to be a retractable soft top should it rain.
Other bespoke elements include new half doors that do without glass, wider wheel arch extenders and larger wheels shod with all-terrain rubber for improved trail blazing capabilities.
Steel front and rear bumpers and new bash plates and underbody armour have all been added, while at the rear there's a functional tailgate and a new spare wheel carrier.
The work to convert then LandCruiser from a wagon to a ute has been extensive with more than half of the vehicle replaced.
It's unlikely a ute will ever be based on the latest LandCruiser Prado 250 Series which is tipped to be priced from around $65,000 when sales start in Australia late this year.
Toyota 4Runner TRD Surf concept
The next SEMA concept is based on the latest Toyota 4Runner TRD denied to Australians – for now. Given the Toyota Tundra is on track to be sold in Australia, it could open the door for more overseas models to flow into Toyota's Aussie showrooms.
Developed with the help of US-based Toyota Motorsports Garage, the second SEMA concept reimagines the Japanese-spec HiLux Surf sold from 1983-2009.
Mirroring the original, the SUV ditches its roof and D-pillars and gets a lightweight hardtop panel, plus a new roof rack created to carry surfboards. A roll bar sits behind the exposed second row of seating.
Deleting the rear door, engineers created flip-up front seats that provide access to the rear bench.
Wider wheel arches or fenders, a TRD front bumper, vented hood and new Turbo stickers, plus an ocean-inspired paint job complete the exterior tweaks.
Within, there's a blue-themed cabin with cyan accents and practical waterproof wood-style flooring.
Under the bonnet the turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and eight-speed auto and all-wheel drive carry over unchanged, as do the full-time four-wheel drive system, featuring an electronically controlled dual-range transfer case.
That said, there are mechanical changes, with a new sports exhaust delivering a 'satisfying' acoustic says Toyota, while custom front axles, long travel suspension and 17-inch off-road wheels shod with huge 37-inch all-terrain tyres endow it with go-anywhere capability.
There's no word whether Toyota plans to resurrect the Surf sub-brand for the 4Runner or the HiLux sold in Australia but it's thought some of the options of the latest concept might be offered to customers as a dealer-fit accessories.
SEMA stands for 'specialty equipment marketing association' and the annual event is one of the world’s largest automotive aftermarket fairs.
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