Ladies and gents, welcome to the REV check.
Today we're gonna check out a real off-roader.
Not some wannabe SUV, I can go off-road sh**, no, the real off-roader, Toyota Land Cruiser.
The Land Cruiser has been around since 1951
and is available in different versions, depending on the region in which you live.
Of course the Toyota Land Cruiser features permanent all-wheel drive.
So, in any situation you will be on your way safe,
but if you want even more, if you want to go real, real rough off-road terrain,
then you can of course add some differential lock
via the buttons down here and then you will master almost any terrain.
And it is crazy to see, how good of an off-road car the Land Cruiser actually is.
But why is that?
The reason why the Land Cruiser is that good in off-road matters,
is because it still has a ladder frame.
Most of the other cars today don't have that
and it is one of a few only left on the market that features that.
What is the point of a ladder frame?
Of course it's heavier than your usual frame, but it's also way more rigid in itself
than your average SUV chassis and that's why it is so loved among off-road fans.
Since its debut, the different generations
of the Land Cruiser have been sold more than 10 million times all around the globe.
With its high ground clearance, the robust suspension and the big wheel arches,
the Land Cruiser has everything it takes to master even difficult terrain.
With its fording capability of water up to 70cm deep,
it's among the top six Off-Road vehicles.
The king of water is the Mercedes Benz G500 4x4 with 1m of maximum depth.
One of the main points of the update for the Land Cruiser was of course the engine.
The only engine available is the diesel, the D4D and it now has 204 horsepower,
which is 27 horsepower more than the predecessor,
and 500 newton meters of torque, 50 more than the predecessor.
And you can also feel that.
The car feels a little sportier and of course, I mean
more torque is always good for an off-road car.
Talking about the general driving impression:
Usually when I tell you guys, when I drive an SUV, you're sitting a little higher,
this is the bigger version of that one, because you're really sitting way higher
than in most SUVs out there and you can tell that.
If you see a car driving in front of you, or coming into the opposite direction,
it will look small compared to the Land Cruiser
And of course you can also tell that if you look at the car from the outside.
There is an additional step that will help you get in the car.
It's that high.
The interesting part at the rear of the Land Cruiser is,
the trunk does not open to the top, but to the side.
Behind that you will find a rather big trunk, that can optionally fit a third row of seats.
But, what does that mean for everyday use?
So, if someone is parking behind you and it is too close,
then you won't be able to open your trunk.
But Toyota thought of that and that's why, by the press of a button,
you can open the window and then load things.
Of course, these things should not be too heavy, because it's rather high to lift
and not too big, because otherwise you won't fit them.
Another thing that has been updated in the new Land Cruiser
is the infotainment system, as it will now feature Android Auto and Apple Carplay.
So you can connect your smartphone to the car
and then have all your messages and everything you need
on the display of the car, which is pretty nice.
As you would expect it from an engine update,
the engine has not only gotten more powerful, but also a little more fuel efficient.
Toyota claims an average consumption of around 7 liters per 100 kilometers
and I have to say, for a car that is that big and heavy
and features more than 200 horsepower, that's still a decent figure, I think.
Prices for the Toyota Land Cruiser start at 43,650 euros and that is
the entry-level version with three doors and a six-speed manual transmission.
The car we're testing is the five-door version
with a six-speed automatic transmission and that will be at least 48,780 euros.
My final verdict on the Toyota Land Cruiser:
It might not be the newest car, it might not be the most beautiful one, but it definitely
can go off-road and it features a lot of space and the update on the engine did it well,
so, I liked it.
To sum it up: The Toyota Land Cruiser is a robust off-roader
that will take you almost anywhere
while still offering a decent amount of comfort and up to date infotainment.
On the downside, it is only available with one engine
and the design does not exactly live up to todays standards.