Toyota has revealed the facelifted Land Cruiser which gets a sharper design, more creature comforts, an improved engine and more off-roading kit.
Starting with the simple stuff, the exterior of the car gets a new over-size bumper with integrated fog lights and a new grille design. The headlights and LED daytime running lights have been rejigged, and there also some newly-designed 20-inch alloys.
Inside the car Toyota has apparently tried to raise the level of quality and comfort. There’s a new interior colour scheme with high-gloss wood trim. The dashboard layout has also been redesigned while the instrument dials get a new colour option. The leather front seats get a cooling function as well as being heated, while the rear seats can be individually slid backward or forward.
The addition of a diesel particulate filter and new fuel injection system means the new 4.5-litre V8 diesel, producing 286bhp and 650Nm of torque, now complies with Euro 5 emission standards. There are no figures on economy or emissions yet, though Toyota claims this model is more frugal than before; improving on the previous car’s 27mpg shouldn’t be too hard.
Toyota’s big off-roader has also got a selection of new kit to make it even better on the rough stuff. Firstly, it gets Turn Assist which allows the driver to execute tight turns at low speeds. This works in conjunction with Crawl Control, which essentially helps the driver make a slow, controlled descent or climb on steep slopes.
Another new feature is the addition of a set of four cameras on the car which allow the driver to see all around when dealing with any off-road dangers like rocks or tree stumps. The 2012 model also gets a tyre angle display which shows guidelines of the predicted path of the wheels.
Finally, Toyota has fitted what it calls ‘flow control’ for the steering, which weights up at higher speeds but becomes lighter at lower speeds. The company has also included the new Toyota Touch Pro sat nav and multimedia system.
The latest Land Cruiser will go on sale in the UK in March. There are no details on prices yet but with the current model starting at £59,600, don’t expect to see much change from £65,000.
