Toyota Land Hopper Set to Take on the Suzuki Jimny

The small SUV market is one that’s heating up with a number of new entries for consumers to consider. Between Mahindra’s Thar, the incoming Force Ghurka, GWM’s Tank 100, and the beloved Suzuki Jimny, there are some solid options, and Toyota will be throwing its name into the hat with the Land Hopper.

Essentially a compacted Land Cruiser, the Land Hopper hasn’t officially been revealed, but reports from Japanese car publication Best Car speculate that the Land Hopper is in production and will be available sometime in late 2024 or 2025. The name has also been trademarked by the Japanese company, lending more weight to the rumours.

There’s no confirmed look of the new vehicle, but based on slides and silhouettes that Toyota themselves have released, it appears that the Land Hopper will take visual cues from the now discontinued FJ Cruiser, but retain a lot of the Land Cruiser mechanics and internal design.

Toyota’s Land Hopper would be a tempting addition to the fleet of Toyotas available to South Africans, offering a brand name the market is extremely familiar with, an elevated and capable 4×4 for the diverse SA landscape, and some pedigree by utilising the beloved Land Cruiser history.

What do you think of Toyota’s potential Land Hopper release? Let us know in the comments below and tweet us @MenStuffZA.