Sway control for Toyota LandCruiser

TOYOTA has introduced trailer sway control as standard equipment across its LandCruiser 200 Series range, the first time the technology has been used on a Toyota vehicle in Australia.

Coming just weeks after Nissan launched its hi-tech new Y62-series Patrol, the safety upgrade for Toyota’s big SUV wagon also now includes a knee airbag for the driver and front passenger on base GX and volume-selling GXL model grades, bringing their airbag tally to eight.

Higher spec VX and Sahara models are already fitted with 10 airbags each.

Recommended retail prices have risen by $1500, with the LandCruiser 200 now kicking off from $78,990 (plus on-road costs) for the base five-seat GX in 4.5-litre V8 turbo-diesel guise, $89,990 for the eight-seat GXL, $100,990 for seven-seat VX and $119,990 for the flagship seven-seat turbo-diesel Sahara.

The 4.7-litre petrol V8 versions, all of which seat eight people, start from $84,990 for the GXL, $95,990 for VX and $114,990 for Sahara.

The trailer sway system has been designed to stop the trailer from uncontrollable swaying in situations such as strong winds, unexpected bumps on the road or even a sharp steering wheel turn.

Sway is detected using information from a number of the LandCruiser’s sensors, including the yaw rate, steering and acceleration sensors.

Any time the system detects sway, it uses deceleration control and yaw-moment control to reduce the effects and warns the driver via an indicator in the instrument cluster.

Drivers in following vehicles are alerted via the illumination of the stop lamps.

Toyota says the system “operates seamlessly and does not require the addition of hardware or any change to the trailer”.

The GXL also picks up dark-grey privacy glass for the rear of the vehicle, while the VX and Sahara gain dusk-sensing headlamps.

All LandCruiser 200 Sahara models are now fitted with digital radio.

The updates to the range follow the introduction last year of the limited-edition LandCruiser Altitude that included $4000 worth of extras over the GXL on which it was based.

Sales of the LandCruiser for the first two months of the year are down by 11.1 per cent compared to the same period last year, with the iconic AWD shifting 1643 units so far in 2013 as opposed to 1849 in January and February 2012.

2013 Toyota LandCruiser 200 pricing*

GX diesel (a)	$78,990
GXL petrol (a)	$84,990
GXL diesel (a)	$89,990
VX petrol (a)	$95,990
VX diesel (a)	$100,990
Sahara petrol (a)	$114,990
Sahara diesel (a)	$119,990

*Plus on-road costs