Big, dependable, indestructible and commanding are just a few of the words that can be used to describe the legendary Toyota Land Cruiser.
Toyota's Land Cruiser was perhaps the iconic automotive symbol of Ireland's building boom - it was the builders' friend and a very refined workhorse to the trade. Long and short wheelbase versions (LWB/SWB) sold in spades and while the vast majority of those were commercials with just two seats, the Land Cruiser Passenger was a loved and capable machine, too.
The latest 60th Anniversary Land Cruiser (170 series) has been launched and it has evolved as you'd expect. It is still built on a ladder chassis and is as chunky as ever to look at. It is a tall machine that has a comfortable soft suspension set-up that soaks up bumps with ease. Land Cruiser's superb off-road ability is a given.
There is just one engine from launch, a three-litre, D-4D diesel. It's Euro-5 compliant and as you'd expect power is up with 190bhp and 420nm of torque. It is also greener with 213g/km of CO2.
The Commercial Cruiser starts at €37,675 and it is available in SWB and LWB in two trims, GX and GL. Passenger Land Cruisers come in GX or Premium trim. The five-seat SWB Passenger Cruiser starts at €61,995 (SWB/GX trim), while the LWB seven-seater GX starts at €71,995. If you have lots of cash, the Premium weighs in at €83,675. This is a huge amount of cash despite the latest Land Cruiser attracting a comparably low €1,050 in annual road tax (it was €2,100).
Outside there are modest changes to smarten the Land Cruiser up, but there is no denying that it is not as good- looking as a Q7, Range Rover or X5. Where Land Cruiser scores is the fact that it is the world's bestselling four-wheel drive, with over 5m sold in 176 countries based on a phenomenal reputation as an honest workhorse.
Inside the high up cabin is spacious. Leather seating is standard on both seven-seat passenger versions. The dashboard has been freshened up but still features a lot of hard-wearing dark plastics. Should you need extra cargo space the seating folds without much effort. Unlike a full size MPV, the Cruiser's tailgate doesn't open upwards but swings out like a door from the passenger-side. You can lock the tailgate in the open position simply by twisting a shock absorber-like strut, should you need to carry a long load. The glass area of the LWB version's tailgate pops upwards with the press of a small button and this adds to the car's versatility.
The driving position as you would expect is commanding. My test car features a smooth automatic gearbox and a conventional lever handbrake that sits next to the driver's left leg. I took a SWB commercial fitted with the standard six-speed manual gearbox for a brief test drive around Kilkenny city recently. It was effortless to use. Land Cruiser is still very angular so knowing where it is on the road is fairly easily done, but I wish reversing sensors were fitted as standard.
In its best year in Ireland, about 3,500 Land Cruisers were sold. This year 700 sales are expected - made up of 95% commercials and just 5% passenger.
Michael Sheridan
