All-new Toyota Land Cruiser gets tasty redesign and improved off-road skill

MANILA: Toyota has officially unveiled the new Land Cruiser which it said features a completely redesigned character with best-in-class driving performance, functional interior and exterior design, and state-of-the-art safety features.

The Land Cruiser was introduced in 1951 as the four-wheel-drive Toyota BJ, motivated by a powerful engine which delivered outstanding off-road performance in adverse environments. It is the first vehicle to climb up to the sixth checkpoint of Mount Fuji. Because of its exceptional performance record, it served as a police patrol car all over Japan.

Since then, Toyota has sold a cumulative total of around 10.4 million units and more than 300,000 units a year in 170 countries and regions worldwide. Due to its dependability, resilience, and outstanding off-road performance, the Land Cruiser has served as a tool that supports people’s livelihood in areas that can only be reached using such vehicle models. It has also been used in various humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts across the world.

The development of the new Land Cruiser 300 aims to adapt and improve the Land Cruiser’s essence of “reliability, durability, and off-road performance.” The new Land Cruiser also aims to provide a smooth driving experience on any road condition.

To achieve these objectives, Toyota has adopted the new GA-F platform based on TNGA while keeping the frame structure that protects the Land Cruiser’s essence. The Japanese carmaker has also combined the technologies accumulated over many years with the latest technologies to develop the desired improvements such as vehicle weight reduction, lower center of gravity, adoption of a new powertrain, and refreshed interior and exterior designs.

To reduce the vehicle’s weight and increase its rigidity, Toyota has redesigned the Land Cruiser’s frame. More improvements were obtained through actual driving tests by evaluation members, including in-house drivers with advanced technical skills and drivers who participated in the Dakar Rally. Toyota made sure that the vehicle is easy to drive and does not easily tire the driver both on-road and off-road.

To further improve the Land Cruiser’s off-road performance, Toyota has enhanced its basic suspension performance and road-holding performance through the adoption of the electronic kinetic dynamic suspension system (E-KDSS).

The new Land Cruiser is also equipped with a multi-terrain monitor that displays obstacles as seen from the driver’s viewpoint, and a multi-terrain select that automatically chooses the driving mode depending on the road surface.

The Land Cruiser is powered by a newly developed V6 twin-turbo engine (3.5-liter gasoline and 3.3-liter diesel) mated to a direct shift 10-speed automatic transmission. This combination can reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 10% compared to the previous model. The gasoline engine generates maximum power output of 305kW and maximum torque of 650Nm, while the diesel engine delivers 227kW and 700Nm of torque.

The exterior and interior of the new Land Cruiser are also purposely designed to provide optimum off-road driving experience. The light positions and bumper shape are revamped to avoid getting damaged during off-road driving. A horizontal instrument panel is provided in the cabin to easily capture the vehicle’s position when driving off-road.

To maintain the Land Cruiser’s renowned off-road performance, Toyota has kept the same vehicle size, including the overall length, overall width, wheelbase, and departure and approach angles, as the previous model.

The new Land Cruiser comes with the latest Toyota Safety Sense active safety package with additional advanced functions. The pre-collision system includes two new functions that help in avoiding a collision by detecting pedestrians and cyclists on the road. The system can now detect approaching vehicles at intersections and oncoming pedestrians crossing the street when the vehicle is turning in either direction. It also comes with a new emergency steering and crash avoidance function, which automatically activates when the driver does a steering maneuver to avoid collision. The new Land Cruiser also comes with a parking support brake that helps prevent accidents by detecting obstructions in front and at the back when parking, oncoming vehicles when backing, and pedestrians.

Toyota is set to roll out the new Land Cruiser in all its markets across the world this summer.

Photos from Toyota

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