By Mike Askew

December 2002

When Toyota bosses sat down to design the new Land Crui-ser three years ago, they faced a tough decision. Should they follow the herd and make their new mud-plugger a road-based 4x4 in the mould of the Mercedes M-Class and BMW X5, or should the company stick to its guns and build a traditional off-roader capable of crossing continents without breaking into a sweat?

The decision to follow convention and opt for an honest-to-goodness mud-plugger may be a disappointment to those expecting the firm to roll out a bigger RAV4, but the thousands of owners who regularly rely on their Land Cruisers to lift, shift and lug kit to the four corners of the earth will be delighted to learn that Toyota has chosen not to be led by the crowd.

Penned by British designer Lance Scott, the car's styling is unashamedly based on its smaller stablemate, the RAV4. In an effort to develop a family look for its off-road line-up, the company has given the newcomer swept-back headlamps, blistered wheelarches and wraparound tail-lamp clusters.

The RAV4-like touches continue inside, with a decently appointed cabin. As we've come to expect from the Japanese giant over the years, there's enough grey trim on show to refurbish a fleet of Lufthansa jumbo jets, but sufficient gadgetry to keep the most demanding of techno fans happy.

The driving position is much the same as before, although the addition of steering wheel reach adjustment has improved matters for tall drivers. Toyota has further boosted practicality by fitting a pair of foldaway seats as standard in the boot, and equipping the rear bench with a one-touch fold and tumble mechanism, which gives extra capacity at the pull of a lever.

In terms of running gear, the new Land Cruiser owes a lot to its predecessor, with the main engine option - a 3.0-litre D-4D turbodiesel - being carried over from the car it replaces. Generating 161bhp and 343Nm of torque at 1,600rpm, the unit is an honest performer that has a bullet-proof feel and ample pulling power if you're prepared to work it. However, the same can't be said about the newcomer's manual gearbox, which proves stubborn, heavy and cumbersome to use.

With a sturdy ladder chassis sitting underneath its steel body, the new 4x4 feels a good deal more agricultural than many of its road-biased rivals. Its body control in fast, sweeping corners is poor by class standards, while sudden direction changes can outfox the chassis very easily. However, some of the blame for this lies with the suspension design. With standard springs at the front and optional air struts at the rear, our car felt ill at ease on motorway slip roads and uneven cambers.

Fortunately for Toyota, its Land Cruiser is an exceptional package off-road. With class-leading amounts of ground clearance and a host of new hi-tech electronic traction aids, the newcomer is virtually unstoppable. The Downhill Assist Control (DAC) works flawlessly, as does the innovative Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), which balances the brakes with the throttle to ensure a smooth getaway on slimy inclines.

Prices start at ΂£23,995 for the three-door LC2 diesel model, and rise to ΂£36,795 for the five-door LC5 edition. Equipment is better than before, and should give rivals at Land Rover and Mitsubishi plenty to think about.

Social Bookmarks

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• Email a Friend
• Print this