Review of the new Toyota Land Cruiser Range

The Toyota Land Cruiser needs little in the way of introduction. You know the score. It's a rugged, reliable and no-nonsense family-sized 4x4 right? The brow of Toyota's PR man would knit slightly if the current 'Cruiser was described thus. It's not that Toyota have rampantly upmarket aspirations for this model. It's just that things are a little bit plusher than you may expect.

It's a smart move. The market for so-called 'Family 4x4s' is fragmenting with a clear split between the real utilitarian stuff and the cars that are in many respects budget facsimiles of proper luxury 4x4s but without the eye watering price tags. In attempting to cross from the rough and ready to the rather more urbane, does the latest Land Cruiser run the risk of falling firmly between two stools? It's certainly a very fine distinction and one that requires a car of rare competence to negotiate successfully.

The arrival of a more competitive Land Rover Discovery has changed the landscape in this sector and Toyota have adjusted their aim accordingly, the Land Cruiser weighing in model-for-model at around £4,000 less than the 'Disco'. Do the sums and the Toyota seems a very attractive proposition.

Assuming that you're not looking at the 4.5-litre Land Cruiser V8 - really a different model aimed at Range Rover territory - there's only one engine choice, a 171bhp 3.0-litre D-4D common rail turbo diesel, now cleaner, emitting just 224g/km of CO2. That might seem like a lot but it's very different to the 244g/km you'll get pumped out of a Land Rover Discovery4 3.0 V6 or the 280g/km that belches out of a Mitsubishi Shogun 3.2 DI-DC. The Toyota's fuel consumption is significantly better too - at 31.4mpg on the combined cycle.

"The diesel engine is a cracker"

Equipment levels - never a Land Cruiser Achilles heel - are very generous in the current models. The LC4 and Invincible grades receive a sophisticated satellite navigation system equipped with ETA Electronic Traffic Avoidance. This monitors real-time traffic information via an FM radio signal, detecting delays on routes programmed into the sat-nav system, in turn offering the driver an alternate route skirting the jams. If that's not enough, the flagship Invincible model includes all this plus a DVD in-car entertainment system.

Loading the top of the range model to the gunwales is all well and good, but Toyota have also spread the good news across the rest of the line-up. All Land Cruisers get cruise control and a passenger seatbelt warning indicator. LC3 models benefit from a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearknob set while LC4, and Invincible versions are fitted with a wheel cover for the tailgate-mounted spare.

Whereas many 4x4 manufacturers - including Land Rover - have found a way of mating a car-like monocoque chassis with proper 4x4 capability, Toyota keep faith with the separate ladder chassis. This gives the Land Cruiser huge wheel articulation when the going gets tough but the downside is on-road body control that's not quite as tight as the class best. As with any big 4x4, a number of compromises have been built into the Land Cruiser and for a vehicle geared towards the rough'n'tough end of the scale it does a good job. The fact that the test vehicle was riding on knobbly all-terrain tyres that were designed to show the vehicle's mud-plugging capabilities in a favourable light may have had something to do with the slightly ponderous feel.

The diesel engine is a cracker and feels utterly bulletproof with huge reserves of pulling power. The 171bhp power output looks generous and the benefit of that 410Nm torque punch between 1,600 and 2,800rpm is very welcome, especially in sticky situations. The manual gearbox isn't the sweetest shifting 'box in the world and the additional ratio seems to nullify the advantage of the extra torque to a certain extent. Best to opt for the automatic. Acceleration is strong, the manual diesel car hitting 60mph in around 11 seconds and running on to a top speed of 108mph.

If you're at all serious about off roading, the Land Cruiser will be your idea of heaven. With class-leading ground clearance and a whole raft of high tech electronic aids, you'll need to be pretty determined or breathtakingly hamfisted to get one of these stuck. The Downhill Assist Control (DAC) is Toyota's take on Land Rover's Hill Descent Control, a system which ensures that when negotiating a tricky downhill slope, the vehicle never exceeds brisk walking pace. Instead of leaving it at this, Toyota have reversed the thinking and have become the first manufacturer to introduce Hill-start Assist Control (HAC). This detects when the vehicle is slipping backwards or wheelspinning when starting on a gradient and automatically feathers the brakes and throttle to maintain an easy getaway.

Toyota have yet to build a dud Land Cruiser. Expect the record to continue.

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