Better than a diesel! Everything you need to know about the Nissan Patrol rivalling hybrid-powered Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series!

An electrified LandCruiser 300 Series is inevitable, with even Toyota in Australia confirming hybrid technology will be coming to the model sooner rather than later.

But the big question, of course, is just what will be powering it. And the answer, it seems, is arguably the most impressive engine in the entire Toyota family, the Tundra- and Sequoia-powering i-FORCE Max, which is powerful enough to leave even the V8-powered Nissan Patrol in its rear-view mirror.

Whenever the topic of electrifying a LandCruiser comes up, you can almost set a timer for the hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing to begin. ‘It’s not a real LandCruiser’, they’ll say. Usually followed by ‘give me diesel or give me death’.

But in this instance, the i-FORCE Max could be enough to silence even the loudest doubters. Read on to find out why.

What is the i-FORCE Max and how would it work in the LandCruiser?

The Tundra can pull almost 4.7-tonne braked.

We already know just about everything there is to know about Toyota’s hybrid solution for big trucks and large SUVs, because the i-FORCE Max powertrain is already at work in the Tundra and the Sequoia, the latter of which is the American answer to the 300 Series.

Pairing the brand's already potent 3.5-litre, twin-turbo V6 petrol engine with an electric motor, the powertrain produces an astonishing 286kW and 790Nm. They’re big numbers, and enough to topple our LC300.

Our diesel-powered LC300, for example, which makes use of 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, delivers 227kW and 700Nm.

But what about towing, I hear you ask. Once again, the i-FORCE Max powertrain finishes ahead of our diesel. According to Toyota in the USA, the Tundra can pull almost 4.7-tonne braked, meaning the 3.5-tonne that's considered a requirement in Australia should be a piece of cake.

The Tundra is coming to Australia this year.

Finally, fuel use. Traditionally a diesel strong point (even considering the cost of diesel vs petrol per litre), but the hybrid powertrain has a trick or two up its sleeve. The addition of an electric motor – this time positioned between the engine and the transmission to deliver power to the front or rear wheels faster — also aids in reducing the fuel use.

Again, we’re relying on Toyota USA’s spec sheets here, but the Tundra returns a claimed 10.6L/100km combined, while the Sequoia is slightly higher, at 11.2L/100km.

The LC300? Toyota in Australia reckons you’ll see 8.9L/100km on the combined cycle, meaning the petrol powertrain is only around two litres per hundred kilometres thirstier.

But there’s another sum that needs to be considered. As of today — right now, in fact — the cost of diesel in Australia is $2.01 per litre. Regular unleaded is more like $1.72. That means travelling 100kms in an LC300 should cost you $17.88, while travelling the same distance in a Tundra should cost you $18.23.

When will the LC300 hybrid arrive in Australia?

The Sequoia is powered by a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine with an electric motor.

The big question. But if we had to bet, we’d say soon. Australia’s love affair with diesel (which is quickly becoming fairly unique globally) will have to end eventually, which means Toyota will be scrambling to find a suitable solution.

The next Prado, for example, is expected to adopt its own, less powerful, version of Toyota’s hybrid tech, this time taking the four-cylinder petrol-hybrid from the just-released Crown.

Toyota's game-changing i-FORCE Max engine has already been trademarked for Australia, with the potent hybrid powertrain paving the way for an electrified LandCruiser 300 Series. The application was lodged in Australia on February 4, 2022.

One thing we do know, though, is that electrification is coming to the LandCruiser.

“It makes sense that the LandCruiser, the Prado, the HiLux and other commercial vehicles are going to have to adopt some sort of electrification as we get closer to (2030),” Toyota Australia’s sales and marketing boss, Sean Hanley, has previously told CarsGuide.