Skip to main content

Toyota’s ‘convertible’ Land Cruiser ROX concept is beyond cool

The open-top one-off is wider, wilder, and more fun than any other Toyota concept in recent memory.

A Toyota Land Cruiser "ROX" concept SUV parked on a backcountry trail.
Toyota

Fresh from this year’s SEMA event, this Toyota “convertible” is among the coolest Land Cruiser concepts we’ve seen in years. The design, a brainchild of Toyota’s North American design studio, Calty Design Research, is distinctly LC while taking a clear stab at both the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco. It’s an overlander’s dream — bolder, wilder, and more fun than almost any other Toyota on the market.

Calty had a hand in the creation of the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 250, and it shows. This concept, dubbed the Land Cruiser “ROX” (an acroynm for “Recreation Open eXperience”), is a nod to the LC’s open-air, open-top heritage. The redesign process involved swapping more than 50% of the vehicle’s OEM parts, from the sheet metal to the glass and beyond.

Toyota Land Cruiser ROX concept climbing a steep incline on a rocky trail.
Toyota

Everything about the ROX concept is designed to eliminate the boundaries between in-vehicle and outdoors, while delivering a more aggressive look and an overlanding-ready ride. It swaps the factory doors for “skeleton” doors, making way into the cabin over custom, high-clearance rock rails and rocker panels. The sliding soft top opens the ROX’s cabin wide for maximum sun and fresh air. There’s also a functional midgate providing easy access between the cabin and truck bed.

Recommended Videos

Exterior utility features abound, including an integrated triple-bar roof rack and sports bar with MOLLE panels for maximum storage versatility. Around back, custom Jerrycans near the rear-mounted spare allow for storing extra water or fuel. Purpose-built high-lift bumpers with D-rings and brush guards ensure maximum protection all around. Massive oversized fenders were also incorporated to make way for custom Calty-designed, one-piece, 18-inch billet wheels. The studio also worked with Toyota on a completely custom TRD independent suspension and added a four-inch lift and an eight-inch-wider track width via forged aluminum control arms. The result? A wider, meaner, more aggressive-looking rig.

Rear cargo space inside the Toyota Land Cruise ROX concept SUV.
Toyota

Stepping inside reveals that the ROX concept is something altogether different than a factory Toyota Land Cruiser. The interior is awash in Heritage Orange leather and custom SLS Nylon 3D printed parts. Door panels with integrated safety kits and storage webbing hint at the truck’s serious off-road nature.

Custom interior of Toyota's Land Cruiser ROX concept SUV.
Toyota

“The Land Cruiser ROX is a reminder of what Land Cruiser has always been, and an invitation to Land Cruiser fans who will appreciate experiencing the great outdoors in an entirely new way,” said Mike Tripp, Group VP of Toyota Division Marketing. “We can’t wait to see how they react.”

Like most concepts, it’s unlikely the Land Cruiser ROX will ever see the light of day, at least not in this incarnation. But, it hints at where Toyota’s head is at with the next generation of its overlanding-worthy SUVs. Coupled with the redesign of the next-gen 4Runner and Tacomas, it appears that future is looking very bright for outdoor and backcountry enthusiasts.

Topics
Mike Richard
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
Benda launches motorcycle line of cruisers fusing soul and style
The Benda cruiser design focus is low and wide for a cool, laid-back look, with forward foot controls.
Two people on 2025 Benda Chinchilla 300s parked talking in fron to f the Arch de Triumph in Paris.

Keeway America, which established a dealership network for Benelli motorcycles and Keeway scooters, announced a new partnership with Benda Motorcycles. Beginning in spring 2025, Keeway dealers will carry three 2025 Benda V-twin cruiser motorcycles. The first Benda motorcycles in the U.S. will be the Chinchilla 300, the Chinchilla 500, and the Napoleonbob 500.
The Benda brand story

According to Keeway, Benda Motorcycles blends "radical aesthetics with state-of-the-art engineering." The Benda bikes have liquid-cooled engines with carbon fiber drive belts, LED lighting, and standard ABS braking. The gas motors are smaller and less potent than Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycles V-twins. They are intended for entry-level riders who primarily ride in small towns and back roads.
The 2025 Benda cruisers
The initial Benda cruiser models are the Chinchilla 300, Chinchilla 500, and Napoleonbob 500.
2025 Benda Chinchilla 300

Read more
Kia’s PV5 WKNDR camper van concept hints at the future of electric vanlifing
Rugged, modular, and versatile, this go-anywhere rig might be the camper van of the future.
A Kia PV5 WKDNR EV concept van parked in the desert.

Concept vehicles allow us to daydream about a near future where cars, vans, and trucks are tricked out with next-gen, drool-worthy tech that may not ever see the light of day. And that's exactly what Kia had in mind with the SEMA debut of its radical PV5 WKNDR camper van concept that hints at the company's futuristic vision of all-electric vanlifing.

The PV5 joins the Korean automaker's line-up of PBV's or "Purpose Beyond Vehicles," likening the concept to a "Swiss Army Knife on wheels." The exterior resembles a blend of today's best camper van rigs and a Martian personal transport vehicle. The rugged design includes all the essentials to make it a bona fide overlanding rig, including a roof-mounted LED light bar, rock sliders, tow hooks, and yellow auxiliary lights. There's also an onboard air compressor for airing up air mattresses and tires on the go. Oversized fender flares provide the needed space for large, off-road-ready tires and a more robust suspension.

Read more
Kia debuts two cool new custom EVs at SEMA
Kia debuts new EVs at SEMA
Kia SEMA

Car enthusiasts everywhere wait with bated breath for the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The SEMA show is an outlet for auto manufacturers and automotive accessory manufacturers to show off some of their wilder ideas to the public. While many of these vehicles and products often seem extreme at the time, they are often harbingers for changes and innovations coming down the pike.

This year, Kia debuted two new vehicles that have garnered considerable interest not only among the EV crowd but also among anyone looking for a little adventure.

Read more