Toyota is bringing its much-loved Land Cruiser back to the UK - and here’s a first look at the overhauled off-roader!
The Land Cruiser is a name synonymous with rugged reliability, having been the go-to SUV for drivers who want to go anywhere, with minimal fuss, for the past 70 years.
Toyota quietly dropped the Land Cruiser from UK leasing markets a couple of years ago as the Japanese firm focused on other areas of the world.
But we bring you good news - this new-look Land Cruiser will be sold in the UK.
And with its eye-catching design - which is boxier, sharper and more chiselled than before - it’s sure to make a big muddy splash when it arrives next year.
Toyota says the new Land Cruiser is very much playing to its ‘traditional strengths’ of ‘quality, durability, and reliability to tackle the toughest conditions’.
It’ll launch with a 2.8-litre diesel engine with power of 201 bhp and which has been honed to strike a balance between performance and efficiency, while an engine supported by electrified mild-hybrid technology will become available in early 2025.
Underpinning everything is a chassis that’s 50 per cent more rigid than before, and the combined body and frame rigidity is greater by 30 per cent.
Those frame improvements should mean the new Land Cruiser is more taut, more responsive, more of a fun daily driver, and not merely an accomplished rock hopper.
This will also be the first Land Cruiser to use an electric power steering (EPS) system, as opposed to hydraulics.
Toyota says the EPS ‘reduces the amount of kickback that can occur when driving over rough surfaces and provides smoother, more direct steering and easier manoeuvrability at all speeds’.
Off-road capability is also improved with a new disconnecting front anti-roll bar - what Toyota calls a ‘Stabiliser with Disconnection Mechanism’, or SDM. It essentially makes for a better ride quality on really rough roads, and greater comfort on the road.
You’ll be able to lease a Toyota Land Cruiser with either five or seven seats.
And as for how it looks, a Toyota spokesperson tells us: “The chunky, tough look expresses the ‘back to its origins’ quality of the new Land Cruiser, but it is also highly practical with a form-follows-function approach. Off-road performance is helped by shorter overhangs, sculpted corners and a narrowed lower body, and body parts have been designed for easy replacement in the event of damage.”
There’s no word yet on price but you can expect an update later this year.
Meanwhile the Land Cruiser will rival other lease cars like the Land Rover Defender and the Jeep Wrangler.
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