The Toyota Land Cruiser 250 Series recently emerged in Japan and ditched the nickname “Prado” in the process.

The all-new Land Cruiser 250 Series will fill in the void between the popular Land Cruiser 70 and the upscale variant Land Cruiser 300.

It is a full-pledged sports utility vehicle with a robust off-road cred.

In the land of its birth, the Toyota Land Cruiser 250 Series carries market specs that almost the same as the Land Cruiser 300 Series.

That includes electric power steering (EPS) and stabilizer with disconnection mechanism (SDM). EPS reduces kickback during off-road driving. SDM makes the front stabilizer lock or unlocked via push button.

Last year in the United States, the all-new (fifth-generation) Land Cruiser Prado was launched where it also carried the name Land Cruiser 250 or J250. Among its striking features is the old-school look.

And true enough, the Japan-spec Land Cruiser Prado is almost the same as the US version except for the moniker.

The makers didn’t state the reason for the change but maintained that it repositioned the Land Cruiser 250 as the lineup’s centerpiece.

It will be offered in three distinct versions: ZX, VX and GX. The first two come with three-row seating while the base model GX is only available with two rows.

The Special Edition ZX will have bi-beam LED headlights, matte black aluminum alloy wheels, and 18-inch off-road tires. It may come in exclusive Sand exterior color with Dark Chestnut interior finish.