Toyota has filed a trademark for the Land Hopper name, but what is a Land Hopper, and when will we be able to get one? Here’s what we know.
Every once in a while as a gearhead, you see a snippet of information or rumor about a new car that really gets the brain whirring with the potentials and possibilities attached. Manufacturers do their very best to keep their brightest new ideas under wraps for as long as possible, but due to the amount of development and testing involved in creating a new car for the global market, and the powers of the World Wide Web, it doesn't take much for something to leak and the world to find out.
This is exactly what has happened with Toyota in the last few months and their apparent Land Hopper project. Details have emerged that the legendary Japanese manufacturer has trademarked the "Land Hopper" name, and speculation has been rife as to what it may mean. Is this an all-new model of SUV, a trim level for one of their existing products, or something else entirely? We've gathered all the information we can find and here's what we know.
The truth is, there is very little concrete information on the Land Hopper as yet, but what we do know is intriguing. In recent times, Toyota has taken steps to trademark "Land Hopper" as a name. The trademark is categorized within the class 12 definition which encompasses power machinery equipment for land vehicles, power transmission devices, braking mechanisms, AC and DC motors, complete automobiles and their constituent parts. It even covers parts for motorcycles and bicycles, along with their associated accessories.
What this could mean exactly is the source of much online speculation. There is a chance that this is an all-new vehicle from the company, likely an SUV, but a smaller offering than the famous Land Cruiser due to its "hopper" moniker. We think it's also likely that this could be a trim level for an existing Toyota vehicle, most likely the aforementioned Land Cruiser. This would potentially be a fun, off-road-focused version of the vehicle with a stripped-back, more rugged exterior and interior design.
0-60 MPH
5.6 seconds
Top Speed
N/A
Curb Weight
5,620 lbs
Torque
437 hp
Horsepower
583 lb-ft
Layout
Front-engine, rear/all-wheel-drive
The possibilities as to what a Toyota Land Hopper could look like are near limitless. Supposing for a minute that it is a standalone SUV offering, the Land Hopper would have to fit within Toyota's range of SUV models, most notably the Sequoia and Land Cruiser, but also the Rav4, Highlander, and more.
Focusing on the name itself — Land Hopper — we think whatever the case may be, the nameplate is likely to be attached to a smaller SUV. The "land" element echoes that of Toyota's most famous SUV, and the "hopper" aspect suggests agility, and diminutive size — think grasshopper, for example.
This could potentially mean that the vehicle is something of a Suzuki Jimny rival, a car capable of fitting in tight parking spaces, but also transporting the family, and traversing tricky terrain. Or, maybe the Land Hopper will be a sportier SUV, hopping along the terrain with a capable power plant and rivaling the fantastic Ford Bronco Sport.
Ultimately, we believe it is likely that, whatever the performance level, the Land Hopper moniker will be attached to a smaller SUV vehicle. Questions of speed, off-road ability, and even the identity of its powertrain — Toyota is currently preparing to make a massive step into the BEV sphere — are hard to answer at this point, but we're certainly looking forward to finding out more.
Toyota are in a moment of flux right now and preparing for one of the biggest transitional periods the manufacturer may have ever experienced. The company recently established the foundations of its upcoming bZ series, a 15-strong lineup of all-electric vehicles set to be introduced globally by 2025. Toyota has labeled this as "an exciting new dawn" so the question becomes, where does the Land Hopper fit into the manufacturer's bold plans for the future? Could this too be an all-electric vehicle, or maybe it'll be a smaller, more economical off-roader with hybrid functionality?
It looks like we might have to wait a while to find out the answers to all of these questions. Toyota has yet to announce anything about the vehicle at all, so we'd be surprised to see any solid news of it in the rest of 2023. We expect some form of reveal in 2024 or 2025 on what exactly a Land Hopper is and when we can get our hands on one, but until then, we're sure the rumor mill will continue to churn up ideas.
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Ben Dain-Smith has been obsessed with all things automotive since childhood. While other kids went outside and played sports, he studied car catalogs and learned about the workings of a V8 engine.
That insatiable interest has only grown as time has passed, and these days, you’ll usually find Ben writing for Hot Cars or tinkering on his beloved Mini R56