Two years into its Japanese market run, the Toyota Land Cruiser 250 gets a quiet but meaningful refresh. The kind that doesn’t reinvent the wheel but makes sure the wheel is harder to steal.
The exterior stays exactly as you remember it, boxy, imposing, unapologetically retro. What changes is the color palette, with the new Neutral Black replacing the outgoing Black (202), and a standalone Sand tone dropping the white roof option for those who prefer their off-roader without a two-tone identity crisis. Platinum White Pearl Mica and Avant-Garde Bronze Metallic remain on the menu.
The round Bi-Beam LED headlights are now available as an option on the VX trim, giving buyers the choice between the classic round look and the sharper triple-beam LEDs that come standard. A small detail, but one that shapes the entire character of the truck’s face.
Inside the VX, Toyota has loaded in the Teammate Advanced Drive system, bringing lane change assist, front cross-traffic alert, emergency steering assist, and a driver monitoring camera. Add to that an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory function and a four-way power passenger seat.
Speaking of which, Toyota has also tackled the elephant in the room. The Land Cruiser has been a perennial favorite on Japan’s most-stolen vehicles list, which is either a testament to its desirability or a deeply inconvenient problem depending on which side of the transaction you’re on. The updated model adds a smart key distance measurement system that blocks unlocking and engine start if the key isn’t in close proximity, plus the T-Connect My Start Lock, which lets owners remotely disable engine startup.
Under the hood, nothing changes. The 2.7-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder carries over, producing 160 HP and 246 Nm of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic and full-time four-wheel drive. It’s not the powertrain that wins hearts, but it’s the one you’re getting, unless you want the diesel, which won’t arrive until after December 2026.
