The cheapest LandCruiser ever! All-new Toyota Land Hopper could land at under $40k in Australia to be the ultimate off-road bargain | Reports

Talk of Toyota’s mini LandCruiser is gathering steam, with the name “Land Hopper” now registered by the automotive giant, and all signs pointing to a possible reveal, at least in prototype form, at the Tokyo Auto Show later this month.

But in even more exciting news, new reports point to the model being the cheapest model in the LandCruiser family, and by some margin, with media calling out a 3.8m yen(approx $40,000) price for the game-changing off-roader.

That would undercut the LandCruiser 300 Series and the Prado, of course, but it would also put models like the Jeep Wrangler and even the Suzuki Jimny on notice. Those numbers come courtesy of Japan’s Best Car Web, with the site suggesting the model’s pricing could even start at 3m yen, which would be more like $31k AUD.

All of which is very exciting, as are the new details beginning to emerge. It’s thought the new off-roader will ride on a ladder-frame off-road platform, but that its dimensions will largely mirror the Toyota Corolla Cross, which stretches 4460mm in length and 1825mm in width. For reference, the new Prado is 4925mm in length and 1980mm in width, making the Land Hopper very much the little brother of the LC family.

That would also make it longer and wider than the three-door Suzuki Jimny (3480mm and 1645mm), and longer even than the 3985mm five-door Jimny, too.

According to the site, diesel is off the table for now, with the model to launch with the Corolla Cross’s petrol-hybrid engine family, with top-spec models to possibly borrow from the RAV4 Hybrid family to unlock more power. Eventually, though, the Land Hopper will be fully electrified.

Toyota is yet to officially comment on the new model, or on the trademark filings. It's also not known whether the name Land Hopper will be for its domestic market, while international markets adopt a more familiar moniker, like FJ Cruiser. 

All should be revealed soon enough, with the new model expected to be revealed this year ahead of an on-sale in 2024.