The 2024 Land Cruiser's Headlight Choice Is Toyota's Most Controversial Decision Yet
Unless they're really wacky, you typically don't think a lot about car headlights. There usually isn't a ton of choice between what type of headlights you get on a car, even between different trim levels. The headlights on a just over $30,000 base model Jeep Wrangler Sport aren't going to be a lot different than the lights on the nearly $90,000 Wrangler Rubicon 392. However, Toyota is changing that up with the new 2024 Land Cruiser.
Depending on what trim level you choose, you can get either rectangular headlamps that wouldn't be out of place in any modern SUV lineup, or circular lamps that mimic the shape of halogen lights from Land Cruisers of decades past, according to a Toyota press release.
Both options are bright LEDs, but the circular option is decidedly more retro, which is why it's offered on the "Land Cruiser 1958" trim — commemorating the year the Land Cruiser first rolled off the assembly line and into the hearts of off-road fans in the United States. In official Toyota parlance, the lights are referred to as "heritage" options. In addition to the retro-inspired 1958 edition, the round lights will also make an appearance on the Land Cruiser "First Edition," a trim that's limited to 5,000 units.
It isn't hip to be square
The Land Cruiser, capable and rugged as it is, has never been a particularly ostentatious vehicle. Toyota has played it safe for the past several decades with regards to the SUV's styling. The new boxy outline is a step in a different direction than Land Cruisers in the past, but it's not surprising when you look at the new Tacoma or SUVs like the right angle-tacular next-generation Hyundai Santa Fe, the Ford Bronco, or Jeep Wrangler from competing brands.
The headlights, however, are bit of a left-field design decision, especially given the fact that future customers will actually have to make a choice. This will likely cause a minor rift between customers who buy a Land Cruiser to serve as a family hauler and Wegman's parking lot fixture, and customers who buy a Land Cruiser to slam into dunes at the beach all day.
When it comes to SUVs and trucks, Toyota isn't known to rock the boat too much when it comes to styling, but it may have started an illuminating conversation with its new lighting options.