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Next year will be one to remember for Toyota, with a reportedly leaked launch plan from a dealer conference pointing to three massive launches for the Japanese giant - including that of the long-awaited LandCruiser 300 Series.
According to Japanese media, the 2021 launch plan was revealed in full, with the LC300 leading the charge.
But the replacement for the 200 Series won't be the only big launch on Toyota's calendar, with Japanese media now also confirming the debut dates for the Corolla Cross and Toyota's Subaru BRZ twin, the 86.
The first cab off the rank next year will also be the brand's most anticipated, with the LandCruiser 300 Series to debut in April - meaning we're not just months away from the big unit's arrival.
If those timings prove accurate, then the LC300 could be in Australia as early as mid-2021 - which means the clock is now well and truly ticking if you want to secure a V8-powered LC200 before that engine is replaced.
We know already that the LC300 will ride on a new ladder-frame TNGA platform, and will be fitted with a trio of engines, but the first to arrive in Australia should be a new 3.3-litre V6 diesel, which Toyota locally has promised will outperform the now-defunct V8 on both power and torque.
There is also rumour of electrification joining that engine in the future, with Toyota reportedly working on a diesel hybrid. There is also a brace of turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 petrol engines - one hybrid, the other not - but neither have been confirmed for our market.
The new LC 300 will reportedly be bigger in almost every key dimension than the vehicle it replaces, stretching some 4970mm in length, 1985mm in width and 1870mm in height, and it will ride on a 2900mm wheelbase. Inside, there will be a choice of five or eight-seat configurations, over two or three rows. Inside, there will be a 12.3-inch multimedia screen, and Toyota's Safety Sense package will add active safety kit.
Toyota's reborn performance car will follow hot on the heels of the LC300, with the leaked dealer information pointing to a May debut for the Subaru BRZ twin.
The good news is that we already know almost everything there is to know about the 86, given the BRZ has already debuted.
We know, for example, that the BRZ - and thus the new 86 - makes use of a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder horizontally-opposed "Boxer" petrol that develops 170kW and 249Nm, up from the up to 152kW and 212Nm produced by the outgoing car.
The old model delivered a sprint to 100km/h of around 8.2 seconds, which should see this new model drop that figure into at least the seven-second range.
Handling should be improved, too, with Subaru reporting a 60 per cent increase in front lateral rigidity and a 50 per cent increase in torsional stiffness. That brand says you can expect faster steering response, more agile handling and more grip - also thanks to the 18-inch alloys shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber.
It's safe to say that the same will be said of the 86, along with the BRZ's weight-saving tactics, like the aluminium roof, bonnet and front guards, with the weight savings said to counteract the increased kilograms brought on by the bigger engine, as well as lowering the centre of gravity.
If May proves accurate for the 86's debut in Japan, we can likely expect the new performance car to arrive in Australia around the middle of 2021.
Australia could be in line for an early mark on the Corolla Cross, with Japanese production - which is where we'll be sourcing our cars from - now scheduled for September 2021.
Toyota in Australia has previously confirmed that the Corolla Cross will launch some time in 2022, but with the Japanese launch now locked in for September, its seems a late 2021 or early 2022 launch could be on the cards for our market.
We already know the Corolla Cross will share much of its important bits with the Corolla hatch, and should be powered by either a 103kW/177Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine engine, or a hybrid powertrain with a combined power output of 90kW.
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