Toyota unveils the all-new Land Cruiser 300 series

Toyota has globally unveiled the latest iteration of its flagship SUV, the Land Cruiser. The Land Cruiser is built on the new GA-F platform which has reduced nearly 200 kgs from the previous generation. It now comes with either a 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol engine or a 3.3 litre V6 twin-turbo diesel. The new Land Cruiser has also adopted the latest Toyota Safety Sense active safety package with additional advanced functions.

Design

Design changes on the new Land Cruiser are more subtle than outright radical. It continues to get a mahusive grille upfront and the new L shaped LED DRLs now sort of merge into the heavily chrome embellished grille. The design is as boxy as it gets but the traditional muscular stance means you just cannot mistake it for any other SUV. has . The positions of the lights and the bumper shapes are designed not to take damage during an off-road expedition. The vehicle dimensions including the total length, total width, wheelbase and as well as both the departure and approach angles have been kept the same as the previous model keeping off-roading in mind.

Chassis

The Land Cruiser is built on the TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) derived GA-F platform which has reduced the total weight of the car by 200kg and has also managed to increase rigidity. This frame has also allowed Toyota to lower its center of gravity, improve weight distribution and improve suspension structure. To further improve the traditional off-road performance, the LC 300 gets better wheel articulation, world first Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS) and now gets an improved version of the Multi Terrain Select that automatically judges the surfaces and selects the best driving mode. The E-KDSS on the other hand uses electronically controlled hydraulics within the suspension that constantly monitors the terrain and adjusts the suspension to keep the LC 300 stable. It can even disconnect the anti-roll bar on its own if it senses the need for extra wheel articulation.

Powertrain

Toyota has developed two new V6 twin-turbo petrol and diesel engines that are mated to a newly developed 10-speed automatic transmission. The petrol variant gets a 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo with 409bhp and the diesel variant is a 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo with 304bhp. A naturally-aspirated V6 petrol engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission variant will also be available in some countries.

Interiors and features

The interiors of the new Land Cruiser have been built with function in mind over bling. The horizontal instrument panel has been built in a way that provides easy understanding of the vehicle's position even during off-road driving. Additionally, Toyota pursued operational comfort by positioning switches that can be intuitively operated according to function, and using shape and color designs that improve operability.

The new Land Cruiser comes after a massive gap of 14 years and enthusiasts across the world have been clamouring for this new version. There’s no word on whether the new LC will be launched in India, but going by the spec sheet, it looks like one hell of an off-roader and we will certainly love it if Toyota India includes this bad boy to its arsenal.