Motoring Middle East: Car news, Reviews and Buying guides

New V8 makes mid-range Land Cruiser pick of the bunch

By Imthishan Giado

We last saw the Toyota Land Cruiser at the launch of the 2012 range, where we got to drive the much-improved V6 model. How does upgrading to eight cylinders help?

For those who’ve not been paying attention, the evergreen Land Cruiser got quite a few upgrades this year to help it keep up with the competition. Easiest bit to spot is the facelifted front end, which looks more muscular, and the orange indicators are a nice nod to the original Land Cruiser 70 series (which now has fully integrated headlamps).

The top-spec 5.7 remained unchanged while the V6 got a slight but noticeable bump in performance. Big news in the middle however, where the ancient 4.7-litre V8 has been sent to the knacker’s yard and replaced with an all-new (well new to us, anyway) 4.6-litre V8, which produces 304bhp and 323lb ft of torque. That’s a bump of 36bhp and 21lb ft respectively, math geeks.

Buy this car and people won’t exactly be stopping you in the street to ask about it. So ubiquitous is the Land Cruiser on the streets on the UAE that people are hard pressed to tell one model year for the next, and it’s the same with this 2012 car. The dark red hue of my test car was certainly quite attractive and a nice change from the usual pearl white or beige which 90% of customer cars will no doubt be delivered.

Inside…yes, it’s much the same as before. The main differences from the lower V6 model I drove at the launch is the avalanche of standard kit fitted, including – deep breath – full touchscreen navigation, four-zone climate control, electric reach and rake adjustment for the steering wheel, a kicking JBL hi-fi, a massive touchscreen interface for the HVAC systems borrowed from the full-fat LX570 and last but not least, fully ventilated front seats. Make no mistake – the V6 is the entry-level car you buy for the badge but the V8 is the car you buy when you want to make a statement.

Generally, the swoopy interior is aging well and has plenty of space for all but the largest families. Everything has a chunky, sorted feel, from the big grab handles on the door to the oversized buttons to control the A/C. The last bit is a welcome touch – too many manufacturers are falling prey to the designer’s desire to eliminate buttons in favour of touchscreens only, but this may be the last of the big cars which you can operate with gloves on.

On the road, the Land Cruiser remains as sorted as ever, if no sports car. The new direct-injected V8 is a massive improvement, pulling with authority from just about any of its six automatic gears and feeling far more fruity than its aged, peaky predecessor. The new double-wishbone suspension fights cornering forces better than before and there’s slightly less lean through the bends.

But be in no doubt that this is no Range Rover, but a very big, very heavy traditional SUV; the steering is a feel-free zone, the brake feel is squishy and hard stabs at the stop pedal are greeted by huge amounts of forward pitch as the nose dips earthward. All the dynamic limits are low, so drive at six-tenths and the big LC will thank you for it. Go beyond that and it’s a world of understeer, screeching tyres and sharp uncouth ESP interference.

What I’m really interested in finding out is how this new engine performs offroad. To do so, I took it into the wilds of the desert – OK, the bit beyond Bab Al Shams. This is no gentle track though; it’s an area full of blind crests and powdery soft sand, where agility matters more than brute power.

In the midst of these small hills, the Land Cruiser performed admirably for a stock car following in the tiny paths made by nimble Wranglers. This was in no small measure aided by the removal of the front lip spoiler – thanks to another previous ‘incident’ with this test car – which had the effect of dramatically improving the approach angle of this colossus. The big red truck might not sport the huge ground clearance of cars like the Ford Raptor but it is peerless in the dunes, the perfect amount of power always available an ankle flex away.

Improvements to the suspension are subtle, but there’s definitely a better ride offroad with less of the jiggly bumps transmitted to the cabin. New for this year is a somewhat oddly-named ‘Overturn Assist’ feature. Only available in low range, this allows the Land Cruiser to make very sharp turns by braking the inside wheel through a bend. It certainly works as advertised but to be honest it’s not very useful in the UAE, where our deserts are nearly all open spaces with few restrictions. One of the rocks perhaps and a button that’s likely to be remain unpressed for many years.

Verdict

The big Land Cruiser is back and with a brand new brawny heart that finally does it justice. The old 4.7-litre engine was a good one – I should know, I had one! – but it’s had its day and this 4.6-litre is superior in every respect, not to mention fuel economy.

Apart from the mill, the updates for this model year might seem a tad stingy and we’re still a long way from an all-new Land Cruiser that might better take on the likes of the Range Rover. This remains a formidably-built but inherently unexciting car to drive, but one that will take you there and back again every time and come sale time, will return incredibly good resale value. Traditional strengths, but then we’re in a traditional market, one for which the Land Cruiser remains king.

Specs

Price: AED240,000 ($65,350)
Engine: 4.6-litre V8, 304bhp @ 5500rpm, 323lb ft @ 3400rpm
Performance: 0-100kph NA, top speed 220kph (estimated)
Transmission: six-speed auto, four-wheel drive with low range
Weight: 2490kg

Verdict Harder, faster, stronger but you’ll pay dearly for the privilege