The king of 4x4 is here, the new Toyota Land Cruiser confirms that it was worth the wait

We knew we would not be disappointed. We knew the wait would be worth it. The king of 4×4s has just been completely renewed and has done so to continue being one of the best off-road vehicles and, without a doubt, the most important due to its international projection and its presence throughout the planet.

A new Toyota Land Cruiser that, on the one hand, promises to be respectful of its legacy and the qualities that have ensured that, in its 72-year history, 11.3 million Land Cruisers have crossed the Earth. And, on the other hand, to improve its qualities on and off the asphalt to make it a more complete product.

Before us, a Toyota Land Cruiser that recovers its most classic off-road image and that for the first time will be available with hybrid mechanics, electric power steering, and a disconnectable stabilizer bar. Almost nothing.

A neo-retro style 4×4

As much as we are facing a modern product, there are things that should never change. And the robust and solid image of the Toyota Land Cruiser continues in a large SUV that is now longer (4.92 meters), taller (1.87 meters) and wider (1.98 meters) and has been built on the new GA-F platform (also present in the Lexus GX, not marketed in Europe), of course on a chassis with stringers and cross members.

On its front, we find a robust and vertical grill, with elongated headlights and a design that tries to recall the legacy of the Land Cruiser. Bulging hood and very high.

The most classic image of the Land Cruiser in a modern 4×4

Aware of the fundamental role that nostalgia plays in the world of 4×4, Toyota has presented a First Edition version of the Land Cruiser in which the elongated headlights are replaced by headlights with a circular light signature and that, as if that were not enough, , will be available in two two-tone paint finishes with a lot of history: Sand yellow that can be seen in the first images of this article and Smoky blue.

For now, this configuration with round headlights and a two-tone paint finish will only be available in the First Edition, a launch edition limited to 3,000 units for Europe.

We do not know, although we would bet on it if these configurations will be offered again in other special editions later.

A Toyota Land Cruiser with an ECO label

As one might imagine, the Toyota Land Cruiser has been designed to receive a supply of diesel and gasoline engines, between 163 and 330 HP of power, with which to serve the length and breadth of the planet. In Western Europe, it should not surprise us that the engine offer is made up only of two diesel mechanics, with and without electrification:

• On the one hand, a 2.8-liter diesel and 204 hp debut an eight-speed Direct Shift automatic transmission that drags up to 3,500 kilograms, with a maximum torque of 500 Nm.
• The great novelty, which will arrive in 2025, will be a version of this same engine associated with a 48-volt hybrid (micro hybrid) system, with which its consumption in the city should improve somewhat, smoothness when starting the march and receive the relevant label. ECHO.

Better SUV, better SUV?

Waiting to test it on our 4×4 circuit, where the Toyota Land Cruiser has proven time and time again to be one of the best off-road vehicles, Toyota promises to have improved its off-road capabilities, but also its on-road performance. Its two great innovations, present for the first time in the Toyota Land Cruiser the following systems:

• Electric power steering is important not only to improve its performance on the road but also to be able to equip some driving aids that are essential in a modern car, such as lane-keeping assistants and adaptive cruise controls with lane keeping.
• Front stabilizer bar with disconnection mechanism, from a button, with which Toyota would have sought optical performance on the road and good control of body movements, without losing articulation capacity off-road.

Toyota also talks about an improvement in the rigidity of the bodywork of 50% compared to its predecessor and the chassis-bodywork set by 30%.

More technological, how could it be less

In the technological section, Toyota has not provided too many details about what we already see in these images. A dashboard in which two large screens stand out, one for the instrumentation, the other as an entertainment and navigation system located in the center.

We do know that the Toyota Land Cruiser will use an improved version of the Multi-Terrain Monitor system, which will offer a 360º view of the vehicle to identify and negotiate obstacles; and the Multi-Terrain Select system, to adapt the performance of the vehicle to the circumstances of the terrain.

The first units of the Toyota Land Cruiser will be delivered in the first half of 2024. The Toyota Land Cruiser First Edition will only be available for reservation from October when the reservation period for the Land Cruiser range begins.