Toyota Land Cruiser review: The most sophisticated one yet

Some time ago a London-based friend of mine – a Mayo native with a hugely successful building business in the UK – confessed, almost tearfully, that he was considering giving up his lifelong devotion to Land Rover products.

The proud owner of several generations of Discovery – all decorated with his personalised number plate – his frustration with the brand stemmed from the fact that his latest version was stolen from outside his home, electronic security gates and all, in what had become a Land Rover theft free-for-all.

Across the UK in the last two years, it has become practically impossible to keep an expensive Land Rover or Range Rover. Sophisticated thieves, equipped with all manner of electronic trickery, made the taking of such cars a complete doddle and there was bugger-all anyone could do about it.

The cars were largely stolen to order, taken from outside their homes, disassembled into their constituent parts, boxed, containered and shipped off to wherever – Albania, Russia, the Middle East, or places where thieves could make a handy profit for their endeavours.

Such was my friend’s frustration with the problem that he was considering ditching the brand which, he felt, properly illustrated his station in life. His was a horrible realisation as he felt his ability to reward himself for his endeavours had been taken away from him.

To try and lessen his misery, I e-mailed him details of a new car which had just been teased by its manufacturer. I knew his initial reaction would be to scoff, but I also knew him to be a pragmatist and I thought the vehicle in question would certainly be an appropriate worker and would never be targeted by thieves.

The car in question is the new Land Cruiser from Toyota, which was recently debuted to journalists in Scotland. It is a vehicle that has truly been the world’s workhorse for more than 70 years now. Completely bombproof, it has also been a determinedly style-free zone and therefore unappealing to those green-eyed monsters who would like to filch it.

He liked the idea – a lot. It appealed to his sense of getting even – not his ego.

So, what about the new ‘Cruiser?’ The all-new Land Cruiser 250 is the latest generation of a model that, according to Toyota, has across many decades “built an unrivalled reputation for strength, reliability and the ability to cope with the harshest conditions, in all parts of the globe.” They’re not kidding.

It has evolved down the years into three parallel series: The Station Wagon – which is represented by today’s 300 Series and is available in world regions including Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific; The Heavy Duty: the 70-series which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, available in African, Middle Eastern and Pacific markets; and, The Light Duty: the range that includes the all-new 250-series and is the principal model for Europe.

The first Light Duty model (also known as the “Prado” in some regions) joined the global Land Cruiser range in 1985. Since that time, its evolution has seen it move closer in character to the more luxurious and larger Land Cruiser 300. Development of the 2024 250-series model has seen a conscious decision to bring the Land Cruiser back to its origins, focusing on its fundamental quality as a practical and affordable vehicle.

Chief Engineer Keita Moritsu explains: “We have changed our perception and believe that this Land Cruiser model should be offered as a practical and affordable off-roader. We resolved that going back to our roots would be core to the Land Cruiser brand going forward.” 

The result is an all-new model that offers strong, authentic off-road performance, underpinned by its new GA-F platform and frame; excellent functionality for carrying passengers and cargo; enhanced visibility for the driver; and simplicity, with parts designed to be easy to repair or replace with customised items.

It also has a ‘new’ retro look which Toyota says fuses Land Cruiser heritage with modernity. In other words, it looks more like the original one, but it is all-new from stem to stern.

“This is not simply a homage,” says Chief Designer Yoshito Watanabe. “It interprets these elements in a modern design that evokes the essence of Land Cruiser.” 

The Land Cruiser was born 72 years ago as the “Toyota BJ”, on August 1, 1951. Shortly afterwards it demonstrated its strength and capabilities by becoming the first vehicle to successfully climb to the sixth station on the slopes of Mount Fuji.

It’s perhaps no surprise that its enduring worldwide reputation has made it one of Toyota’s best-selling models, with 11.3 million sales to date*, across more than 170 countries and regions.

The classic Land Cruiser silhouette references the definitive lines of the early Land Cruiser models (the 40 and 70 Series Land Cruisers are clear influences) with a strong horizontal axis, a long bonnet, upright windscreen, a short front overhang and distinctive trapezoidal wheel arches.

The proportions are also true to Land Cruiser’s design heritage, with a tight, box-shaped cabin set behind the car’s vertical axis to gain both interior space and comfort. The car’s overall length is 4,925 mm, width 1,980 mm and height 1,935 mm; the wheelbase is 2,850 mm.

At the rear, the lights are again tightly grouped in vertically stacked combi-units.

The interior design expresses a safe, functional look suitable for off-road driving with an emphasis on durability, high quality and measures to reduce fatigue.

The new Land Cruiser comes with a 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine with 204 bhp/ 150 kW which has been re-engineered for driveability and efficiency, is mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission. It will also see a 48V mild hybrid electric model to join the Land Cruiser 250 range during 2025. Permanent all-wheel drive is, of course, a prerequisite.

The essential quality of the Land Cruiser as a vehicle that can “take you anywhere and everywhere and bring you back safe and sound” includes the ability to tackle challenging off-road conditions, although those at the launch in Scotland agreed to an embargo on driving impressions for the moment.

In taking the model back to its origins, Toyota has ensured that the vehicle has the fundamental, built-in strength to deliver on this promise, rather than relying on sophisticated technologies.

At the same time, easy manoeuvrability was a key consideration: beyond its off-road strengths, this is a vehicle that is simple in concept and composed and comfortable to drive for everyone in everyday use. Visibility is good, switchgear is simple to understand and intuitive to use and vehicle responses are prompt and faithful to the driver’s intentions.

What we can tell you now is that the car will be in Ireland later this year and will have a price tag somewhere in the €100,000 bracket. It will also be the first Land Cruiser with electric power steering, a new braking system, ‘Crawl control,’ revised suspension and a new trick called Stabiliser Disconnect Mechanism (SDM) which enhances off-road performance while making on-road trips more comfortable.

We will, of course have more information when the Irish launch take place sometime in the Autumn, but for now, this looks like being one of the best Land Cruisers Toyota has ever made – and it’s a cracking looker too.

Whether or not that will be enough to persuade my friend the UK to buy one, remains to be seen.