Capped-price servicing for Toyota’s LC300

TOYOTA has revealed capped-price servicing details for the much-anticipated LandCruiser 300 Series – which underwent heavy development testing in harsh Australian conditions – with maintenance intervals that remain relatively short due to the new model’s complexity and typically hard usage.

The new LandCruiser, which will come to the Australian market with a 227kW/700Nm twin-turbo V6 diesel engine and 10-speed automatic transmission, will retain the same six-month/10,000km service intervals of its V8-powered predecessor, but with the price of its first 10 service intervals capped to just $375 each.

Developed extensively for the Australian market – and with much of its engineering and testing taking place in the Australian outback – the 300 Series LandCruiser will also premiere a new Multi Terrain System with dirt mode.

Introduced following feedback from Australian customers, the high-range four-wheel drive assistance joins carry-over sand, mud, snow and rock programs, as well as an auto setting that Toyota says can intelligently sense the terrain underfoot and adapt traction accordingly.

Toyota Australia says it considered moving to 12-month/15,000km service intervals in line with industry and competitors but the complex driveline technology of the new 300 Series LandCruiser, along with its expected use in extreme conditions, saw it err on the side of caution.

“We’re always evaluating our service levels based on the technical specification of the car. We know that the LandCruiser is often used in severe conditions, off-road and on-road, it’s a diverse and broadly utilised vehicle,” said Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing, and franchise operations Sean Hanley.

“Based on that, we think five years’ capped-price servicing at just $3750 is very affordable and very competitive. Our 200-plus dealer network locations around the country are well-positioned to be able to service our customers, which makes us a very attractive proposition, particularly to our remote customers.”

Described by Toyota as “the most capable LandCruiser ever”, all versions of the 300 Series will come as standard with an ‘AWD Integrated Management’ system which ties the steering assist, brake and throttle control, shift pattern and drive torque distribution together for “precise handling and stability”.

All 300 Series variants will feature a low-range transfer case, 3500kg braked towing capacity and a trailer wiring harness.

“We think the sheer number of locations and dealerships available to service these vehicles make our six-month/10,000km service intervals extremely competitive,” Mr Hanley added.

Customer deliveries of the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series are expected to arrive in Australia in limited numbers before the end of the year.

Shipping and production delays around the global semiconductor shortage will affect supply of the new model locally. Toyota says around 500 examples of the LandCruiser 300 will arrive before the end of the year, but that most are slated for use as demonstrator vehicles or are otherwise pre-sold.

Toyota Australia cautioned that some model variants of the 300 Series LandCruiser could be delayed by 10-12 months, joining a growing waiting list for Toyota customers which also includes RAV4 and LandCrusier 70 Series models.

“We know that we won’t have any right-hand drive allocation out of September or October, however we expect to get an update on the situation towards the end of this month (October),” said Mr Hanley.

“We are taking orders, and we are hopeful that we will get some right-hand drive LandCruisers in November and December allocation. We’re also hopeful that we will have some cars on the road for our customers before Christmas – particularly those who were early adopters and had pre-ordered. They will be prioritised by our dealer network.

“We’re in an evolving situation, it’s changing. The LandCruiser is a deeply important car to the Toyota brand. We’ll get LandCruisers, they will come, and we’ll sell a lot of them. What our dealer network is committed to do (in the meantime) is to tell our customers the truth about our supply situation.”

Newly constructed from the ground up, the 300 Series LandCruiser makes significant advancements in areas including safety, performance, technology, and comfort. Key upgrades include a new V6s engines, an all-new platform, advanced driver assistance technologies, and improved off-road capability.

Not only is the new range more expansive than the outgoing 200 Series range, it is also more expensive across the board with prices rising by between $6917 and $10,717.

Six different variants will be offered, starting with the base LandCruiser GX from $89,990 plus on-road costs, before prices rise to $101,790 for the GXL, $113,990 for the VX, $131,190 for the Sahara, $137,790 for the GR Sport and $138,790 for the flagship Sahara ZX.

The Toyota LandCruiser dominates its segment in Australia, accounting for an unassailable 87.4 per cent share of the sub-$100,000 upper large SUV category that it shares with the Nissan Patrol.

2022 Toyota LandCruiser pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs