Toyota Land Cruiser (03-09) - Review

At launch, the 3.0-litre common-rail diesel produced 161bhp, but improvements made for 2007 increased power to 171bhp with torque increasing from 253 to 302lb-ft. A special edition, badged Invincible, used a 204bhp version of the diesel, making it the pick of the bunch, but it's limited to a run of 500, and the standard engine isn't short of muscle. The petrol alternative is a 4.0-litre V6 with 245bhp and 280lb-ft. It has the advantage of being more refined and a couple of seconds quicker to 60mph than the diesel (it takes 8.8 seconds), but has the same 109mph top speed and is significantly thirstier.

Unlike some modern off-roaders (such as the BMW X5) which are designed to spend their life on road, the Land Cruiser puts its all-terrain ability at the top of its list of priorities. Consequently its ride is rather bouncy and it leans considerably when cornering, but take it off-road and it'll leave any pretenders stuck in the mud. It puts an armoury of gadgets and technology at your disposal to conquer tricky terrain, including Downhill Assist Control, which allows it to descend steep inclines in a controlled manner with the driver doing no more than steer; Hill-start Assist Control aids the normally difficult action of moving off from stationary on a slope. Top-spec models have traction and stability control to stop the wheels spinning on or off-road, and adjustable suspension which can be made harder or softer and adjusted for height at the touch of a button. It also has high- and low-ratio gearing and a good old diff-lock for swimming through wet mud.