Ready to roll: Toyota's new Land Cruiser makes world premiere

In an online reveal, Toyota recently unveiled the new Toyota Land Cruiser to the world.

Since its inception in 1951 as the four-wheel drive Toyota BJ, approximately 10.4 million units have been delivered to customers in 170 regions around the world. With the latest Land Cruiser, the essence of the Land Cruiser's defining traits - reliability, durability, and off-road performance have been retained and enhanced.

The redesigned 300 Series Land Cruiser is the successor to the 200 Series that debuted in 2007. In developing the new Land Cruiser, special attention was paid to evolving the Land Cruiser's essential characteristics, as well as enabling a comfortable drive in any terrain.

To this end, the new GA-F platform based on Toyota's New Global Architecture was selected as the foundation for the new Land Cruiser.

The frame itself was redesigned to reduce weight and increase rigidity. Various steps were taken, such as the reduction of the total weight of the vehicle by 200kg. The improvements resulted in a lowered centre of gravity, weight distribution, and improved suspension structure.

These improvements were made in conjunction with feedback obtained through driving tests by in-house testers and drivers who had participated in the 2021 Dakar Rally. The result is a vehicle that is easy to drive and boasts exceptional off-road and on-road performance.

Along with the addition of Multi-Terrain Monitor and Multi-Terrain Select, which adapt to a given road surface, road-holding capabilities are improved through the adoption of the Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, which allows for independent movement of the stabiliser bars.

Underneath the bonnet is a newly developed V6 twin-turbo, achieving class-leading performance and drivability that surpass those of a conventional V8 engine, be it in the 3.3-litre diesel or 3.5-litre petrol V6. In terms of environmental sustainability, Toyota aims to reduce CO₂ emissions by around 10% as compared to the previous model by combining the newly developed Direct Shift-10AT, Toyota's 10-speed automatic transmission, with lighter body weight.

On the exterior, the new Land Cruiser pursues functional beauty, in line with the Land Cruiser's heritage. Inside, a horizontal instrument panel relays the vehicle's exact position during off-road driving, allowing for precise manoeuvring in difficult terrain. Toyota has designed switches that use variegated shape and colour design, allowing for intuitive operation.

The new Land Cruiser incorporates the latest Toyota Safety Sense active safety package with additional advanced functions. Two functions have been added to the pre-collision system that helps avoid a collision, or reduces damage in an unavoidable accident.

The first is a function that detects oncoming vehicles and pedestrians at junctions and crossings. The second is an emergency steering and crash avoidance function, which is triggered when the driver performs a steering manoeuvre to avoid collision.

The new Land Cruiser also adopts the new Parking Support Brake, which helps prevent accidents by detecting obstacles in front and behind the vehicle when in a parking lot.

Toyota plans to launch the new Land Cruiser globally in the coming months.