Why the LC300 NEEDS a hybrid: Will diesel buyers of the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series be missing out on a better engine? | Opinion

We now know just about all there is to know about the new LC300, from power to capability, detailed specs to launch timings. Heck, we can even take a pretty good stab at price.

But the one thing we don't know about Toyota's incoming Land Cruiser 300 Series is whether the long-awaited 200 Series replacement will adopt the expected hybrid powertrain we were hearing about in the countdown to its unveiling.

That engine now seems destined to debut in the Lexus equivalent to the LC300, the new LX, and that, LandCruiser fans, is a crying shame. But we would expect - in time - for the hybrid powertrain to make its way into the new LandCruiser, too.

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Look, I get it. We're a diesel nation when it comes to off-roaders (and larger SUVs and utes, for that matter). The towing, the capability, the range, the prevalence of diesel in hard-to-reach places - and a healthy dose of habit - all sees us ticking the diesel box where possible, so much so that some manufacturers don't even offer a petrol option in certain categories.

But like it or lump it, the time of big diesel and petrol engines is coming to a close. Just ask Ford in the USA, who is electrifying everything they can at the moment. Or RAM, who just unveiled a bold electric vision that encompasses everything from the 1500 to a new and electric Toyota HiLux rival that will go up against models like the Ford Maverick.

And honestly, the hybrid powertrain earmarked for the LX - and with luck, the LC300 - is an absolute peach.

Yes, the LC300's outputs are impressive, with a new 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo-diesel that generates a sizeable 227kW and 700Nm. Same, too, the petrol version, where a new and powerful 3.5-litre V6 petrol produces 305kW an650Nm.

But both those sets of figures will be comprehensively beaten by a new hybrid powertrain - at least if Japanese reports are to be believed. The next LX will pair the thumping 3.5-litre V6 with a battery and an electric motor for a combined 358kW and 870Nm.

That's a lot of grunt. And that's before you get to the appeal of all-EV off-roading (at least over shorter distances), significantly improved fuel economy and the sense that - despite driving an SUV the size of an office block - you're contributing something to a greener tomorrow.

The only unanswered question, of course, is towing capacity. But given the current petrol V8 in the Lexus LX will tow 3.5 tonne braked, a new one will likely have that covered, too.

The question is, will it be enough to tempt you out of your diesel? On paper, it certainly should. But the big question is whether our diesel-loving nation will make the jump, no matter what the specs say.

So tell me, LC300 fans. Would you?