The new Land Cruiser “250” Series has officially been presented to the world by Toyota Motor Corporation.
The Land Cruiser series, which debuted as the Toyota BJ on August 1, 1951, is now 72 years old. It was the first vehicle to reach Mount Fuji’s sixth station immediately after launch. Since then, it has succeeded in bringing protection and security to a variety of individuals in locations that can only be accessible by a Land Cruiser.
This idea has been developed and transmitted over time. It has benefited people’s lives and livelihoods all over the world with cumulative sales of nearly 11.3 million units in roughly 170 nations and regions.
The Land Cruiser lineup has previously been divided into three distinct series: the Station Wagon, which consistently displays the newest technologies and has become the flagship model (currently the 300 Series), the Heavy-Duty model, which offers exceptional durability and off-road driving performance (the 70 Series), and the Light-Duty model, which offers ease of handling and comfort on an off-road base as a practical and lifestyle option for customers (Prado).
The new 250 Series is a base Land Cruiser model built on the same GA-F platform as the 300 Series, which significantly enhances the vehicle’s off-road capability. In order to achieve even more potent driving and environmental performance deserving of the Land Cruiser moniker, it also comes with a variety of powertrains. It was developed in an effort to have distinctive Land Cruiser traits, with both the interior and external appearance fusing traditional and modern elements into a useful whole.
A new generation Land Cruiser was intended to provide class-leading enhanced safety performance while also being easier to handle and more comfortable for both on- and off-road driving.
Rigidity was significantly enhanced: frame rigidity was raised by 50%, and total stiffness was increased by 30%. Improved wheel articulation, a measure of off-road performance that defines a tyre’s ability to stay on the ground, is one characteristic of improved basic suspension performance.
It also comes with modern-day features. When driving off-road, electric power steering (EPS) helps to decrease the loss of steering control, gives the vehicle a sharper steering feel, enhances manoeuvrability at low speeds, and makes Lane Tracing Assist possible.
Also a first in a Toyota car is the Stabiliser Disconnect Mechanism (SDM). A switch-operated feature that allows the front stabiliser status to be altered provides driving performance and ride comfort while off-road and handling stability when on-road. There are also increased capabilities of the Multi-Terrain Monitor and Multi-Terrain Select to provide better off-road driving support.
It also comes with a variety of powertrains, including the first hybrid system for a Land Cruiser, in keeping with Toyota’s carbon neutrality ambitions, which follow a diversified multi-pathway strategy. It comes with a turbocharged 2.4-Litre I4 Hybrid that produces 326hp and 630Nm of torque. It is a full-time four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case and has a ground clearance of 8.7 inches
While the interior style has changed from a high-end, luxurious atmosphere to the impression of actual off-road capabilities, the exterior styling uses horizontal lines to replicate the distinctive Land Cruiser form. Styling helps to boost operation even on bumpy roads when combined with a strong and solid interior space, a horizontal instrument panel, and switch forms that are obvious and simple to operate in a variety of driving circumstances.
It gains a rectangular grille aperture and a blockier front bumper. Round LED headlights are standard on the entry-level 1958 trim level and the First Edition trim level, while rectangular headlights resembling those on the FJ62 are standard on the middle-tier Land Cruiser trim level. The 1958 has a front fascia made primarily of plastic, which should be less expensive to fix than the painted parts of the Land Cruiser and First Edition.
Instead of a full-width light bar, the Land Cruiser uses straightforward, squared-off taillights on the corners. The full-size spare tyre is neatly concealed behind the back bumper. Although not blatantly vintage, the straightforward appearance dates back to a time when SUVs like the Land Cruiser were meant to be workhorses.
Although the previous Land Cruiser’s downward-folding tailboard is gone in favour of a more traditional liftgate, the 250-Series Land Cruiser receives hatch glass that can open on its own.
All-season tyres are standard on the Land Cruiser regardless of the model level you pick. The base model comes with 245/70R-18 32-inch tires and fixed anti-roll bars. The other two receive Multi-Terrain Select systems, a front anti-roll bar that is detachable to increase articulation, and 265/70R-18 33-inch tyres with a more aggressive tread pattern.
Like its forerunners from the 1970s and 1980s, the Land Cruiser will only be offered as a five-seater. The new 250-Series’ interior seems well-built, even if it isn’t as obviously opulent as the 100- and 200-Series models that came before it. Soft-touch plastics can be found on the top dash and door panels. To help mask the cheapness, even the tougher materials receive an odd, premium-feeling rubberised covering.
The standard Land Cruiser 1958’s inside is cloth-upholstered and has heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. Mid-range Land Cruisers include heated and ventilated front seats and Softex imitation leather upholstery, while the First Edition model has genuine leather.
The newest Toyota infotainment system is available via an 8.0-inch touchscreen display in the basic model. If you choose one of the two higher trims, a 12.3-inch display with the same software is available.
All new Land Cruiser grades come standard with Toyota Safety Sense, the most recent active safety package with upgraded and updated features. Low-speed crawl control, which controls the application of the throttle and brakes so that the driver may concentrate on navigating obstacles, will be a standard feature on all Land Cruiser models and downhill assist control assists in controlling speed when descending steep hills.
Blind spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, lane departure prevention, adaptive cruise control, and lane centring are all standard on every Land Cruiser.
Toyota isn’t giving out all the information, but the starting price will be somewhere in the middle of $50,000 (RM226400.00). UMW Toyota has never officially offered the Land Cruiser for the Malaysian market. So Malaysians who are interested in the new mega SUV will once again have to rely on parallel importers to offer one of the best SUV’s of modern times. Which is a pity but it is still better than not being able to buy one.
