The Toyota Land Cruiser has long been an enthusiast favorite, but the modern iteration arguably lacks some of its original charm—or at least, the amount it has might depend on what version you get and where you live. When the J250-generation Land Cruiser launched a few years back, Toyota linked its styling cues to trim level here in the United States Upscale trim Land Cruisers featured square headlights, while the base model Land Cruiser 1958 trim (as well as the First Edition) had rounded headlights. However, the 250 Series Land Cruiser only came with square headlights in many overseas markets.
Now, Toyota will offer a round headlight retrofit as an option on all 250-Series Land Cruisers. There is, however, a catch: at least for now, the add-on is only available in the Japanese market.
The replacement parts feature a taller lighting unit with circular LED daytime running lights with the Land Cruiser logo and larger amber indicators at the side. This helps fill front-end space, and aligns the light with the bottom edge of the grille. The new round headlight option will be available on Land Cruisers produced after April 2024 for ¥204,600, or $1296 at current exchange rates; his pricing includes installation.
And the round headlight design isn’t just cooler; it actually works better. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing revealed that the round design provides superior visibility compared to the squared-off design. Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 models earned a "good" rating with their round headlights, while Land Cruisers with square headlights only managed a “marginal" rating. Here’s hoping Toyota begins offering the after-market headlight upgrade here in the States, too.
A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022 and Road & Track in 2024. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a BMW 318i E30 street parked in his Queens community.
