Merc1

Toyota's Land Cruiser is almost as famous for its globe-trotting off-road prowess as the Land Rover Defender, though -- beyond the name -- the hulking SUV that wears the badge today has little in common with the small and simple two-doors of the '60s and '70s.

Toyota upsized the Land Cruiser in 1980 to a four-door midsize SUV, and the vehicle has gradually grown ever since. The 2008 model, dubbed the 200 series, stays with that trend, growing 2.3 inches in length and 1.2 inches in width. The sheetmetal is revamped to align it with Toyota's current styling direction, lending the new Land Cruiser a look akin to a Highlander hopped up on HGH.

Power comes from the Tundra's 5.7-liter V-8. The big truck's engine is unchanged for the Land Cruiser and retains its 381-horse and 401-lb-ft of torque power figures. It's mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with a sequential shift mode that allows for manual gear selection, automatically shifting into first gear when the vehicle comes to a stop. Unlike many SUVs on the market today, the Land Cruiser is fitted with a proper transfer case. Equipped with a Torsen limited-slip locking center differential, the transfer case allows full-time four-wheel drive, with a rotary dial serving as the switch between high and low range modes. The differential's locking function is engaged at the press of a button.

Although unibody SUVs are all the rage these days, the Land Cruiser retains its tried and true ladder-frame chassis. The suspension, designed with off-road capability in mind, features a live axle in the rear and a double-wishbone setup up front. Also part of the suspension package is Toyota's Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System consisting of a pair of hydraulic control cylinders that roll stiffness to best match the suspension's geometry. Stopping power comes by 13.4 inch discs with four-piston calipers up front and 13.6 inch discs at the rear. Towing capacity of the 2008 Land Cruiser is a considerable 8500 pounds and the maximum payload is 1585 pounds.

A new CRAWL control engages when the transfer case is shifted into low range. This system manages engine speed and output and braking force, slowly moving the vehicle forward or reverse and enabling the driver to concentrate more on navigating steep grades or extremely rough terrain. CRAWL control also includes Downhill Assist Control to that maintain a constant preset speed.

The Land Cruiser is fitted with a total of 10 airbags - two front airbags, knee airbags for the driver and front passenger, two rows of side-impact airbags, and three-row curtain airbags. Other safety features include active headrests for front-row occupants, a direct-sensing tire-pressure monitoring system, parking assist, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, active traction control, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, hill-start assist control, and vehicle stability control.

Toyota will present the 2008 Land Cruiser at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney early next month, with the vehicle arriving in U.S. dealer showrooms shortly thereafter.

At almost $7000 more than the outgoing model, the Lexus-like $63,200 price tag is a far cry from that of the affordable early generations. But some things haven't changed. After all, the Land Cruiser is still competing with Land Rover for the pocketbooks and affections of adventuring globe trotters.


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With a 7K price hike Toyota is either insane or just brilliant. Sell less of these beasts for more money, a lot more.

M

MikeJ

Europe will get this thing with a new 4.5 V8 D4D diesel engine with 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque... no word yet on pricing, but I'd be surprised if it were anywhere close to 'affordable'. Capable as it may be, I just don't see this thing making much of an impact on the European market.

monster

They are going to debut this car in the Sydney Motor Show. I thought none of the car manufacturer care about the Australian market, so I was surprised, but not really excited by the news.

More photos. Toyota could have done so much more with the styling. The exterior looks like a Lego block with the corners smooth off. Very disappointing. The fake wooden interior trim looks horrible. Seriosuely I do not see a lot of people buying one of these. The market has changed since the last Land Cruiser was launched in 1998. Boxy, beasty, non premium 4WD like the Land Cruiser won't sell.

- ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
- ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
- ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
- ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

BMW_Owner

Interior looks great to me..... exterior would make a baby cry its that ugly

Merc1

This just begs the question, why would any buy the Lexus LX570?

M

cawimmer430

Agreed.

A V8 diesel? How many V8 diesels does Mercedes sell? Not much. Toyota's European strategy in some cases really makes me wonder what they're thinking. The Euro Landcruiser would be much better off with a simple yet efficient 3.0 6-cylinder diesel engine. That's all you really need. They could use this V8 diesel for the Lexus LX570 if they're going to sell it here (not that it will help...).

It does look a lot better than the hideously ugly LX570.

Anisc

That's a boring exterior. I wonder why they don't make it more trendy and fashionable ? The interior is still acceptable, though the vertical airvent design never appealed to me...

The Artist

damn..they almost made it worthy the name..
but fell on the line..

better luck next time ..

Bruce

I don't mind the vehicle's boxy style one bit; I'm more nonplussed (disspointed I suppose) at certain styling ques. Specifically the rear-end, and those red lights in the bumper.

monster

It is not very smart to put them in the bumper like that. One minor bump or scratch and those lights are gone.