Revised Toyota LandCruiser arrives

PRICE rises of up to $7826 have been applied to the updated Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series SUV, although the diesel-only fleet-oriented GX variant remains unchanged at $77,990 plus on-road costs.

Headlining the MY2012 changes is a new 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine that, despite being slightly smaller than the old 4.7-litre unit, delivers 26kW more power and 29Nm more torque at 228kW and 439Nm.

The power and torque boost comes with claimed fuel savings of 6.2 per cent, down to at 13.6 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle, and CO2 emissions are reduced 8.2 per cent to 313 grams per kilometre.

Efficiency improvements are no doubt aided by a new automatic transmission with six speeds rather than five as before.

A light exterior refresh comprises revised bumpers, a redesigned radiator grille, restyled headlights (with integrated LED daytime-running lights on some variants), new LED tail-lights, door mirror-mounted indicators and a roof spoiler, while new silver and black paint finishes are also now available.

Left: Toyota LandCruiser GX. Below: New LandCruiser 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine.

The CRAWL off-road cruise control system has been upgraded to provide five speed settings below 25km/h and makes sharp turns easier by automatically braking the inside rear wheel.

Toyota has also improved the anti-lock braking system so it can detect and adapt to various off-road conditions such as sand, mud and gravel, while fuel tank capacity is upped to 138 litres across the range, divided into 93-litre main and 45-litre secondary tanks.

Although pricing for the fleet-oriented GX variant remains static, it gains wheel-centre caps and an economy gauge, but does not get the LED lighting technology applied to other variants and it comes with a plain black grille.

As before, the GX uniquely comes with five seats (rather than eight), vertically hinged barn doors at the rear instead of a tailgate, hose-down vinyl floor coverings, 17-inch steel wheels, a wading snorkel and under-body protection.

GXL variants, up $6576 for the petrol and $1326 for the diesel, gain a 6.1-inch touchscreen single-CD audio system with satellite-navigation and USB connectivity, an alarm system and a 220-volt electrical connector in the rear.

Petrol-engined GXLs get a Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) as standard – it is a $3250 option for diesel variants –providing greater wheel articulation and roll control for off-road driving.

The mid-spec VX (up $6576 for the petrol and $1326 for the diesel) and flagship Sahara variants (up $7826 for the petrol and $2576 for the diesel) add Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select system, which regulates wheelspin and lock-up to ensure maximum traction while off-road.

New self-levelling HID headlights with LED daytime-running lights and washer jets are also fitted, as are front and rear parking sensors, power folding door mirrors, automatic windscreen wipers, 18-inch alloy wheels and KDSS.

Inside the VX is part-leather upholstery, electrically adjustable front seats, a sunroof and a revised colour multi-function display. Diesel variants have seven seats while the petrol has eight.

On these variants, the new metallic grey grille has a chrome surround, as do the front foglights.

Sahara variants additionally get four external cameras, memory settings for the driver’s seat, climate-controlled front seats, heated second-row seats, self-dimming interior mirror, four-zone climate-control air-conditioning, a drinks chiller, rear seat DVD entertainment system and a power tailgate.

The Sahara’s multi-function display also now has steering angle and digital speed readouts and there is chrome brightwork on the side mouldings.

LandCruiser wagon sales are up 13.4 per cent this year, with 1849 registrations to the end of February.

2012 Toyota LandCruiser pricing (before on-roads):
GX diesel	$77,990 (no change)
GXL petrol	$83,990 (up $6576)
GXL diesel	$88,990 (up $1326)
VX petrol	$94,990 (up $6576)
VX diesel	$99,990 (up $1326)
Sahara petrol	$113,990 (up $7826)
Sahara diesel	$118,990 (up $2576)