Toyota Unveils ‘First-Ever’ Performance Hybrid LandCruiser 300 Series

• Toyota has announced a new LandCruiser 300 Series with a powerful one-motor hybrid powertrain.
• The automaker claims this will be the ‘most powerful LandCruiser to date‘.
• The first-ever performance hybrid LandCruiser 300 Series will arrive in Australia in H1, 2026.
• Further details on the new LandCruiser will be made available closer to its Australian introduction.

The most powerful LandCruiser ever is headed Down Under. Toyota has announced that the much-loved LandCruiser 300 series is getting a major upgrade, confirming that for the first time, it will be available with a one-motor hybrid powertrain instead of the traditional diesel engine. That’s right, come early next year, you can expect to see a LandCruiser hybrid hit the road with a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 engine paired alongside a large electric motor.

The big off-roader’s watershed moment marks a significant step in Toyota‘s continued electrification strategy, with the brand outlining plans to offer customers a “mix of powertrain technologies to support their varied lifestyles”. Hybrids are not new to the Toyota brand, having first appeared in October 2001 with the introduction of the Prius to Australia. This time around, however, the brand is introducing the technology on its flagship off-road model.

Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series Hybrid

According to Toyota, the parallel hybrid configuration means that both the engine and the motor can power the wheels either together or separately. In terms of the numbers, the petrol hybrid LandCruiser comfortably sails past its diesel sibling with figures of 341kW/790Nm vs 227kW/700Nm on the diesel model. Harnessing all that power is a standard 10-speed automatic, paired with a four-wheel drive system with a low-range transfer case.

As Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley revealed, the new hybrid configuration not only continues the brand’s electrification journey, it also makes this LandCruiser the fastest iteration ever released.

“For decades, Australians have trusted the LandCruiser to get them to the furthest reaches of the country and back again – it is synonymous with Australian outback touring thanks to its incredible capability and dependability,” Hanley said. “We have always said that Toyota aims to offer the right powertrains to suit our customers, and we are excited to introduce the first performance hybrid LandCruiser next year, which will offer a level of capability never before seen on our flagship four-wheel drive.”

Also, the hybrid powertrain will add more refinement and greater touring range, with an efficiency of about 10.9 km based on the specs of the model available in the UAE market. Details will be revealed for the Australian market close to the launch.

Hybrid LandCruiser Release Information

Set to arrive by the first half of 2026, the LandCruiser’s performance hybrid powertrain has been extensively tested across the world’s harshest environments to match the capability and rugged nature of the LandCruiser moniker. 

The performance hybrid LandCruiser 300 Series is clearly aimed at the Nissan Patrol, which in turn will come later next year with a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine. It seems that the new battleground for these SUVs is combining petrol power with electrification of some sort as carmakers look to maintain the rugged appeal of these beasts while expanding their appeal to cater to a wider market.