Toyota’s legendary Land Cruiser has undergone extensive changes and gained significantly better off-road and on-road capabilities, while remaining true to its roots and the company’s DNA. The manufacturer’s representatives have also announced the price of the new generation of the legendary SUV, and the first cars will reach owners this fall.
Returning to the roots
When developing the new generation of the model, Toyota engineers decided to return to the Land Cruiser’s roots to focus on its strongest features – undeniable practicality and affordability. Thus, the Land Cruiser’s classic, solid and durable body-on-frame design has been preserved, but the new generation is based on the Toyota GA-F platform. Its advantages are most evident when driving off-road.
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The frame of the new SUV is 50 percent stiffer than its predecessor, and the overall torsional strength of the frame and body has been increased by 30 percent. Such significantly improved indicators have also significantly changed the car’s response to the driver’s commands, as well as controllability, at the same time noticeably increasing driving comfort. Various aspects of the suspension’s performance have also been improved, with a particular focus on increasing wheel travel, which is extremely important when driving on tough off-road terrain.
In the world, the design of the new Land Cruiser has received many positive reviews. This car has ingeniously merged tradition with modernity. The voluminous, angular silhouette hints at the new SUV’s return to its origins. In addition, the new generation styling has made it possible to create an extremely practical interior and luggage space, embodying the manufacturer’s principle of “function before form”.
The new generation car is easier to drive in challenging terrain, as it has shorter body overhangs, more pronounced dimensional limits, in addition, it has a narrower lower part, but several body panels are designed in such a way that they can be easily repaired or replaced if necessary.
Better visibility
Land Cruiser designers have placed great emphasis on visibility from the driver’s seat. To ensure a better field of vision, the hood is placed lower, and its corners, on the contrary, are raised, while the instrument panel has a relatively low upper edge. A lower line of side windows has made it possible to increase the glazing area, and the visibility is also improved by a slightly steeper windshield.
The durability and functionality of the authentic SUV is further highlighted by the interior design. This is achieved by details such as the horizontal instrument panel and switches, which are easy to use, both when driving with gloves in hand and when overcoming particularly rough areas. The manufacturer reveals that the company’s specialists even consulted with professional rally drivers when developing the interior rotary switches and buttons.
More impressive off-road capabilities
This is the first Land Cruiser equipped with electric power steering. Such a solution prevents the driver from feeling shocks through the steering wheel when driving over bumps, and also provides more accurate feedback and easier maneuvering at any speed.
The new detachable front anti-roll bar also provides better off-road capabilities. Such a solution was used for the first time in the case of Toyota and flexibly expands the car’s capabilities. The driver can engage or disengage the stabilizer by simply pressing a switch on the front panel. Disengaging the stabilizer increases the travel of the front wheels, which is especially important in places where you have to overcome large obstacles, such as rocks. On the other hand, with the stabilizer engaged, the handling improves on the road with a hard surface.
The new generation SUV’s 2.8 liter turbo diesel engine is designed to balance fuel consumption and performance. The engine develops an output of 150 kW/204 hp, while the maximum torque of 500 Nm is provided between 1,600 and 2,800 rpm. Power is sent to the wheels via a new eight-speed Direct Shift automatic transmission. The maximum towing capacity of the new Land Cruiser is 3500 kg.
Four performances
The SUV is available in four versions: Active, Legend, Prestige and Executive. The prices of the new Land Cruiser in Latvia start from 59,500 euros.
