New Toyota Land Cruiser launched in UK

Prices start from £75k for the first all-new bulletproof seven-seater since 2009

Unusually for a Toyota Land Cruiser, a model that always seemed to be blithely unconcerned with how it looked, the very latest version was greeted with almost universal acclaim when it was unveiled last year. The reception bore out Toyota’s decision to change tack on the design front - doubtless influenced by its rivals, the Land Rover Defender chief among them - and build something that paid tribute to its good-old-days past while also appearing modern and progressive. In fact, the newcomer did the job so well that Toyota UK reckons that customer demand will account for its initial allocation of vehicles immediately.

On the basis that it has only just revealed prices for the UK spec model and already acknowledged that they won’t be available till July (ahead of deliveries in September), it likely speaks to a recent surge in popularity - even allowing for Toyota’s inevitable disclaimer about getting a ‘strictly limited supply’. At any rate, early buyers will get a choice of Invincible and First Edition trim levels. The latter, which, as its name suggests, was always going to be restricted to 2024 sales, is the better looking of the two, and starts at £79,995. It’s probably safe to assume these have all gone.

The Invincible, which starts at £74,995, is therefore the backbone of the lineup, and aside from missing out on the much cooler circular headlights and bi-tone paintwork (alongside some other natty design details) is mechanically identical to the First Edition. This means you get a 2.8-litre turbodiesel with an eight-speed automatic (a mild-hybrid is due next year) on top of the new GA-F platform that perseveres with the traditional body-on-frame construction for all-round toughness (albeit with improved road manners, too). Both get seven seats with black leather upholstery and a generous level of basic kit, including a 12.3-inch touchscreen, head-up display, 14-speaker JBL stereo, sunroof etc; the Invincible gets 20-inch wheels, the First Edition, 18s (told you it was cooler).

The asking price, while inevitably expensive, will probably discourage no one won over by the looks (and already shopping in the premium seven-seat SUV segment). The many-seated Land Rover Defender 130 starts at £73,970, and is arguably the only like-for-like rival based on off-road capabilities. For the record, the similarly large BMW X7 starts at £88,145 and the Volvo XC90, £59,878 - but they are very different cars. With its reputation for supreme reliability and do-it-all usability (not to mention a knack for seeming less like an ego trip than some rivals) the newest Land Cruiser is well-placed to be the most popular version ever brought to market in this country. Assuming Toyota keeps up with demand.