The phrase Toyota is going in big on EVs is an understatement when you consider the gargantuan Toyota Land Cruiser Se Concept, seen here for the first time in the flesh at the ongoing Japan Mobility Show 2023.

Serving as the precursor to the first ever fully-electric Toyota Land Cruiser model, the Land Cruiser Se is designed as a 7-seater three-row EV SUV that offers a high-torque powertrain and proper on- and off-road driving characteristics.

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Highlighting elegance and luxury, the Land Cruiser Se measures 5,150 mm long, 1,990 mm wide, and 1,705 mm tall, with a 3,050 mm wheelbase. In other words, it's HUGE!

For comparison, the already large Land Cruiser 300 (GR Sport variant) measures 4,965 mm long, 1,990 mm wide, and 1,925 mm tall, with a 2,850 mm wheelbase.

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However, the most surprising aspect is its chassis type. Despite wearing the Land Cruiser name, the concept eschews the nameplate’s proven ladder frame chassis for a passenger car-like monocoque construction that Toyota claims will provide “highly responsive handling and confidence in tackling rough terrain”.

Though still a design concept, the preliminary dimensions and the fact that it’s a monocoque body suggest that the Land Cruiser Se could also be one of the earliest models to employ Toyota’s giga casting technology.

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Giga casting reduces the number of component parts, thus reducing production time whilst achieving greater body rigidity – this is possibly why Toyota can do away with the ladder frame chassis and yet achieve similar levels of toughness and utility. 

Toyota has previously mentioned that its next generation EVs will be built using giga casting techniques, similar to the method used by Tesla. However, unlike Tesla's IDRA-sourced die-casting machines, Toyota's machines were developed in Japan.

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Though little is known about the drivetrain concept, AWD technology and or how much power the production version of the Land Cruiser Se will offer, Toyota claims that the Land Cruiser Se’s BEV powertrain will offer silent operation and “create a comfortable cabin space when driving in urban areas and other on-road situations”.