The new Land Cruiser offers two completely different headlight designs depending on the trim. So which one is better?
It’s been decades since you could get a Toyota Land Cruiser with round headlights, but the new 2024 truck is bringing the option back as part of its full-on retro reboot. You’ll be able to choose between round and rectangular headlights depending on the trim, and while they both fit in the same housing, they produce very different looks. It’s rare for a single model to get this kind of visual variety—but it’s also not the first time for Toyota or the Land Cruiser.
Until the late 1980s, every Land Cruiser had round headlights. But as the 60 Series truck neared the end of its production run, Toyota switched up its fascia with four rectangular sealed beams as part of a late-cycle upgrade batch in 1988. Since it was a global model, the facelift didn’t roll out everywhere at once, and some markets like Australia offered both round and square lights at the same time for a couple years.
But after that, round headlights were relegated to the 70 Series workhorse before disappearing entirely in 2007. Now they’re back! Part of me wonders why Toyota didn’t just commit to the round ones, but I also like that it’s offering people the choice. And given the obvious 60 Series design cues in the 2024 Land Cruiser, I guess it makes sense to channel both of the old truck’s faces. So here’s how it works.
The entry-level Land Cruiser 1958 is available exclusively with the roundies. That means you get the trademark FJ-style headlights, a locking rear differential, heated cloth seats with manual adjustment, a smaller 8-inch infotainment screen, and a six-speaker sound system. It’s everything you need and nothing that you don’t.
Step up to the top trim that’s simply called Land Cruiser and you get the rectangular lamps that Toyota teased ahead of the model’s reveal. It’s snazzier than the 1958 and features off-road goodies you can’t get on the base model like a push-button front stabilizer bar disconnect, larger 265/70R18 all-terrain tires, a multi-terrain monitor that displays 360-degree camera angles on a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and more. This one’s likely to be the best seller because this is a premium segment, after all.
Or, hear me out, you can get the Land Cruiser First Edition which has all these four-wheeling features plus rock rails, a steel front skid plate, and… round headlights. It’s a little confusing, I’ll admit, but only 5,000 examples of the First Edition will be built during the first two months of production. Once time is up, you won’t be able to get the round headlights with all the best off-road equipment.
2024 Toyota Land Cruiser First Edition
I’m a sucker for the circle lamps, and I’m guessing plenty of others will feel the same way. I’m still not sure I’d pony up the extra money for a First Edition to get the best of both worlds. You can always toss on bigger tires later, and while you can’t retrofit features like the disconnecting stabilizer bar on the 1958, it feels like a solid value. Or, you could buy the nicer truck and wait for the aftermarket to do its thing, since Toyota is already showing the swap is possible.
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