For travel-starved Australians, this is arguably the hottest ticket in town. The new
Toyota LandCruiser 300 series has finally arrived. Now, getting your hands on one
is still a few months off yet, but this is the first new LandCruiser in 14 years.
It's all new from the ground up. Does it retain its place at the pointy end of the off-road pile?
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Quite simply, you cannot overstate the hype around the new Toyota LandCruiser 300 series.
The first all-new LandCruiser since 2007, the newcomer arrives in Oz with
a downsized 3.3-litre twin turbo V6 diesel engine, a TNGAF body on-frame architecture,
completely modernised exterior, overhauled interior and newfound capability,
both on and off-road. Pricing has taken a major hike as a result with the six model LandCruiser
range now starting at $90,000 and climbing as high as $138,000 before on-road costs.
Here we're driving the off-road oriented GR Sport variant, which sits at the penultimate
rung of the new LandCruiser 300 series range. It is visually distinguished by
this very bold Toyota lettering in the grill, a black pack that covers all the key exterior
highlights, 18-inch wheel side steps and much more. There's even an unpainted section
of the lower front and re-bumpers. Now, visually, you kinda need to put the 300
series next to a 200 series side by side to really see the differences. Toyota recognised
they were already onto a winning formula with the size of the 200 series, so for that reason,
they've really stuck to it with this car's overall width, its length, and its height as well.
One thing that has changed is kerb weight, which has been reduced between 130 kilograms
and 180 kilograms, depending on variant. The LC 300 also looks more modern with LED headlights
standard across the range and all of its new electronics cleverly hidden from the elements.
Now, if there's a point to prove for Toyota, it's what lives here in the engine bay. Gone
is the predecessor's four-and-a-half-litre turbo diesel V8 engine, it now makes way for a 3.3-litre
twin turbo diesel V6 that offers more power and more torque, and crucially, those figures
are more readily accessible across the rev spectrum. You have a primary turbocharger which
provides low rev response with a secondary turbo charger kicking in at about 2600 RPM
to ensure smooth and seamless passage across the rev range. Now as before, the LandCruiser sends
drive to all four wheels, but shifting is now done via a new 10-speed automatic transmission.
The GR Sport enhances the LC 300's off-road credentials with front and rear differential locks
in addition to the centre diff lock fitted to all models. An electronic kinetic dynamic suspension
system independently and electronically locks and frees the front and re-suspension stabiliser bars
to enable a flatter ride on-road and more wheel articulation away from it.
Dyed-in-the-wool LandCruiser enthusiasts or even those that are new to the nameplate
will really appreciate the changes that are being made inside the LandCruiser 300 series,
not only in terms of the technology available, but also the way that everything is presented.
Everything is clear, everything is legible, and more than anything, it's all very comfortable
inside with lounge chair-like front seats, plenty of space, and just an accessibility to everything
as well. I love that all the off-road switch gear is banked in one section to the right
of the gear lever, all the climate control functions are in another bank of switch gear as
well, so you can kind of access everything really easily on the move without being distracted.
Despite its robust under-body, there is nothing utilitarian about the GR
Sports interior. Quality materials adorn all the contact points with broad comfortable front seats
and an assortment of forward-facing, rear-facing and overhead cameras in this GR Sport model.
If there's a technological sore point with the previous LandCruiser, it was undoubtedly its
infotainment system. Thankfully, the LandCruiser 300 series takes a massive step forward
with this new 12.3-inch center screen. It's fitted standard to VX grades and above,
and in this instance, it's matched to a digital instrument cluster and a head-up display as well.
The native screen works really well, it's quite easy to navigate, and when you make
use of Apple CarPlay as I'm doing at the moment, it's still embedded really well into the existing
screen. You can see I've still got all the climate control functions to the left there,
you can tinker with different things so that you don't have to get out of Apple CarPlay either.
Handily, there is this bank of piano keys at the bottom of the centre fascia as well, which give
you a quick one-touch access to different menus on the touch screen. The GR Sport version features
a head-up display, wireless phone charging and hard-wired satnav. The 300 series is awarded full
marks for safety technology, covering all eight of our key requisites. It is yet to be crash tested.
Storage is sound throughout the cabin. There is handy door pockets
and hidey holes and compartments pretty much wherever you look. Handily though,
everything is well thought out with the way that it's been integrated. For instance,
the cool box in the centre console can now be accessed from the back seat.
Access into the third row is still relatively clunky, if we're honest, via heavy-duty fold and
tumble seats. Toyota also missed an opportunity to install second row window shades on all models.
There's ample space for kids or adults in the second row, and with a low set window line,
you get a great outward view of the cabin. There's also rear air vents, and your own USB ports,
as well as these handy grab rails to pull yourself in and out of the cabin.
The GR Sport variant also boasts clever reading LEDs which blanket one seating light
without disturbing the rest of the cabin. As ever, there are no complaints from the boot area,
which is roomy with its proportions and is accessed by a one-piece electric tailgate design.
It does pay to observe the model walk however, because the GX, Sahara ZX and GR Sport are all
five-seat propositions only. Handily, the boot area features a 240-volt household power point as
well as several tie-down points to secure luggage. A full size spare wheel is mounted underneath.
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So then, we've already established that the 300 series boasts wholesale improvements inside,
outside and under the skin. Do those improvements transcend the driving experience? Without a doubt,
yes. Immediately, this feels like a more planted, more polished driving experience than before.
There's really light low-speed steering that's electrically assisted. As mundane as it sounds,
the brake pedal action feels more evenly modulated and more consistent through the pedal.
And just the on-road refinement of the 300 series,
it immediately elevates itself beyond the 200 series predecessor.
If you're second-guessing the LC 300's engine, there is simply no need. It delivers
a wave of accessible torque and inherent refinement across all driving scenarios,
while the new 10-speed automatic represents a huge leap forward
with shift times twice as fast as the previous six-speed automatic.
Can I be honest? The new diesel V6 doesn't really sound that far removed from a diesel
V8 either. It's got a really nice brute and muscular soundtrack that ambles away softly
in the background. It's always there, but it's almost like Toyota's way of saying,
"Don't worry, mate. We've got you." But the other takeaway feature with the engine is that peak
power is achieved at 4,000 RPM just before the cut out. That's pretty high for a diesel, but it means
that you can kind of plant your foot down and have full confidence in knowing that the LandCruiser
300 series is gonna pull away very swiftly, that's despite a 2,500-kilogram kerb weight. The other
big ally with acceleration efficiency and just the engine's overall ability on the road is the
10-speed automatic transmission. It feels more refined too, so what you're getting is a driving
experience that is much more polished and doesn't really give away anything in pulling power.
The LandCruiser's double wishbone front and four-link solid re-suspension is accompanied
by adaptive dampers on the GR Sport grey, which provides consistently strong comfort and control
on all road settings. Refinement is excellent across all surfaces. We had a very short stint on
a high-speed gravel road this morning, put the car into its new high-speed dirt gravel mode and it
just felt as tied down. All the electronic systems feel quite benign with their interventions,
which is exactly what you want. They chime in when needed, but until that point, they're still
really effective and benign, they just operate in the background. Even over standing water, the
300 series feel stable and it feels confident as well. It's a confident, inspiring car despite its
big proportions, and all the electronic systems and safety systems work quite admirably as well.
To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the lane-keeping assist function. It tends to
sort of bully you back into your lane. But that's more prominent on country roads where the line
markings aren't as prominent and the lanes are a little bit narrower. Everywhere else,
everything works quite well. I didn't mind the adaptive cruise control function. And I love
the suite of cameras that you get onboard, forward-facing, rear-facing and overhead,
it's exactly what you need for a car of this size.
As for all important efficiency, we average 12.5 litres per 100 kilometres in a mix of conditions,
certainly nowhere near the 8.9-litre claim, but a promising starting figure for a brand new vehicle.
Where the LandCruiser does lose some points is with its servicing provisions with Toyota electing
to stick with archaic six-month 10,000-kilometre intervals that simply aren't practical for remote
owners. More proficient on-road, off-road and under-tow, the new Toyota LandCruiser 300 series
is a clear improvement in every regard. At more than $100,000 on the road, and with those hefty
servicing charges in mind, it's clearly not the every man's 4x4 like it once was,
but for those that can afford one, or better yet, get their hands on one,
they can be assured of a business class style passage around this beautiful country.