At the upcoming Auto Expo 2025, Toyota will showcase the much-anticipated Land Cruiser Prado that’s due for a launch in India later this year. Meanwhile, Toyota’s luxury arm, Lexus, will have two eye-grabbing concepts on display at the expo. Let’s take a closer look at what to expect from both these Japanese carmakers.
Toyota land Cruiser Prado
The star attraction at Toyota’s stall will be the new Land Cruiser Prado. Set to be launched late this year, the Prado will slot in below the Land Cruiser 300 in Toyota’s India line-up. This one is more focused on off-roading, with increased wheel articulation, a disconnecting front anti-roll bar, a two-speed transfer case and locking centre and rear differentials.
Land Cruiser Prado is due a launch in India later this year.
The Prado also looks a lot more rugged with neo-retro design cues. It majors on practicality, durability and dependability. On the inside, the Prado shares a lot of switchgear and equipment with the LC300, but it gets more hard-wearing materials and a rugged design to suit its use case. It will be brought to India as a CBU and will likely retain the 2.8-litre 48V mild-hybrid diesel engine that it gets in international markets. The same engine, in non-hybrid guise, already does duty in the Fortuner in India.
Recently, Toyota globally debuted the production-spec Urban Cruiser EV, which has been co-developed with Suzuki and is a sibling to the Maruti e Vitara. While an India debut was expected at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo, it is likely that Toyota will skip it so as not to take the limelight away from its Suzuki counterpart, which will be present at the show. However, Toyota could display some other concepts from its global portfolio, such as the FT-3e SUV concept or the FT-Se sports car concept.
Lexus LF-ZC Concept
LF ZC Concept previews a production model due in 2026.
Lexus will showcase the LF-ZC Concept, which is meant to preview a premium electric saloon that’s due for a launch in 2026. The LF-ZC is designed to be modular, and the batteries are said to be located in the middle of the car, giving more freedom to the front and rear structures. That should make it suitable for different sizes as well as powertrain layouts, including single-motor and dual-motor configurations. Lexus says the top-spec version of the LF-ZC will offer a range of over 1,000km when it goes into production. The concept also showcases Lexus’s latest design language – it’s very edgy, but Lexus says it is focused on aerodynamic optimisation. On the inside, there is a steering yoke with steer-by-wire technology, while the main controls have been spread across the cockpit area on a number of digital pads.
Lexus ROV Concept
The ROV concept is a hydrogen-powered buggy.
The other concept, and perhaps the whackier of the two, will be the hydrogen-powered concept buggy called the ROV. It is Lexus’ take on an all-terrain vehicle, with some of the brand’s signature styling elements in a compact and rugged body style. The ROV has an open cockpit that’s heavily donned with carbon fibre, and it also features a single-piece instrument cluster. While two concepts will adorn Lexus’ ‘Future Zone’, the brand is expected to showcase its existing line-up in the ‘Hybrid Zone’. It will also have a ‘Lifestyle Zone’.
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