Wednesday 25th March

Toyota details latest Land Cruiser 250 upgrade

'Two distinct personalities' promised for range refresh - including the welcome return of retro headlights 

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Likely even Toyota couldn’t have predicted the frenzy around the 2024 Land Cruiser. The combination of perfectly modernised retro style with legendarily sturdy underpinnings - plus limited numbers for the UK - made for market conditions akin to a GT3 Preuninger Edition. It was nuts: big overs being paid, used cars being flipped for profit, even attempted thefts as supply and demand were skewed like never before. Despite the initial hype having died down a little, you’re still looking at £70k for a UK market car. And that’s without the round headlights… 

Lest we forget, the First Edition Series 250s were offered with a front end that neatly evoked classic LCs; they’re more in demand because the standard light arrangement resembled Lego bricks. See the PH story here for an example of the former and here for the latter - it’s pretty clear which looks better. So much so, in fact, that a new tweak of the Land Cruisers bound for Western Europe will see the circular headlights return. How many cars Western Europe will receive isn’t clear for the moment, though there ought to be less spec squabbling this time around. 

Speaking of which, Toyota suggests that a new two-model Land Cruiser lineup means ‘two distinct personalities’, specifically an ‘off-road’ profile and a ‘lifestyle’ one. These terms are probably all relative as far as a Land Cruiser goes, though there are some key equipment differences between the VX - ‘specified for serious off-road performance’ - and the VX-L, with ‘added style, technology and premium details’. 

All new Cruisers are powered by the mild-hybrid 2.8 diesel, with off-road equipment including the Stabiliser Disconnect Mechanism, Crawl Control and the Multi-Terrain Monitor. A pair of 12.3-inch screens manage cockpit and infotainment duties, with both VX and VX-L optionally available with seven seats. But where a VX must make do with 18-inch wheels, the L gets 20s, and there’s a 14-speaker JBL audio system for the range-topper also. It isn’t all just for show, either, as the VX-L replaces the VX’s electronic locking rear diff with a Torsen item to deliver ‘enhanced on-road handling’. With a pano roof optional as well, the VX-L is likely to be the Land Cruiser in demand. Even if Smoky Blue is only offered on the VX… 

Toyota believes that this latest revision is capable of ‘refocusing the range to provide versions designed to meet the preferences of customers looking for authentic “back to the roots” performance and those prioritising more sophisticated equipment features and technologies.’ Probably this is still going to remain a 4x4 towards the Ineos Grenadier end of the scale rather than the Land Rover Defender one, but that’s exactly the point: a Land Cruiser doesn’t have to attempt to be anything but a Land Cruiser right now.

Especially when it looks as good as this. Expect more details about UK availability soon And maybe, just maybe, a slight softening of those First Edition values in due course… 

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• Toyota Land Cruiser | Cars to be thankful for
  
• Driven to distraction | PH Footnote

 

[Tri_Doc]

Fantastic.

I'm smoking around in a 14yr old 138k miles LC, longing to upgrade to one of these new ones but can't afford it.

[wistec1]

Despite the credentials it's left wanting for the 6 pot diesel offered in other markets. The land cruiser is on my bucket list but I'll go down the import route with the 6 cylinder derv engine.

[_Rodders_]

wistec1 said:

Despite the credentials it's left wanting for the 6 pot diesel offered in other markets. The land cruiser is on my bucket list but I'll go down the import route with the 6 cylinder derv engine.

Unless I'm mistaken you'll be looking for a long time.

This platform doesn't come with a 6cyl diesel in either Toyota or Lexus variants.

Best you're going to get is the 3.4 TT V6 petrol.

[Cristio Nasser]

I think a used Grenadier would be the right play here.

[wistec1]

_Rodders_ said:

wistec1 said:

Despite the credentials it's left wanting for the 6 pot diesel offered in other markets. The land cruiser is on my bucket list but I'll go down the import route with the 6 cylinder derv engine.

Unless I'm mistaken you'll be looking for a long time.

This platform doesn't come with a 6cyl diesel in either Toyota or Lexus variants.

Best you're going to get is the 3.4 TT V6 petrol.

[wistec1]

_Rodders_ said:

wistec1 said:

Despite the credentials it's left wanting for the 6 pot diesel offered in other markets. The land cruiser is on my bucket list but I'll go down the import route with the 6 cylinder derv engine.

Unless I'm mistaken you'll be looking for a long time.

This platform doesn't come with a 6cyl diesel in either Toyota or Lexus variants.

Best you're going to get is the 3.4 TT V6 petrol.

[_Rodders_]

wistec1 said:

_Rodders_ said:

wistec1 said:

Despite the credentials it's left wanting for the 6 pot diesel offered in other markets. The land cruiser is on my bucket list but I'll go down the import route with the 6 cylinder derv engine.

Unless I'm mistaken you'll be looking for a long time.

This platform doesn't come with a 6cyl diesel in either Toyota or Lexus variants.

Best you're going to get is the 3.4 TT V6 petrol.

Completely different car, not even a shared platform.

[wistec1]

_Rodders_ said:

wistec1 said:

_Rodders_ said:

wistec1 said:

Despite the credentials it's left wanting for the 6 pot diesel offered in other markets. The land cruiser is on my bucket list but I'll go down the import route with the 6 cylinder derv engine.

Unless I'm mistaken you'll be looking for a long time.

This platform doesn't come with a 6cyl diesel in either Toyota or Lexus variants.

Best you're going to get is the 3.4 TT V6 petrol.

Completely different car, not even a shared platform.

Ho ho . well I must follow orders and get a petrol one then eh.

[Lefty]

Yeah that’s the 300. Think Range Rover vs Discovery.

[_Rodders_]

wistec1 said:

Ho ho . well I must follow orders and get a petrol one then eh.

Because I didn't guess that you were talking about a different car to the one in the article that you were commenting on?

Do what you want.

[rodericb]

_Rodders_ said:

wistec1 said:

_Rodders_ said:

wistec1 said:

Despite the credentials it's left wanting for the 6 pot diesel offered in other markets. The land cruiser is on my bucket list but I'll go down the import route with the 6 cylinder derv engine.

Unless I'm mistaken you'll be looking for a long time.

This platform doesn't come with a 6cyl diesel in either Toyota or Lexus variants.

Best you're going to get is the 3.4 TT V6 petrol.

Completely different car, not even a shared platform.

Landcruiser 300 and Prado 250 are on the same platform (GA-F) however the Prado is very much a lighter duty unit. The naming muddies things a bit. Lexus have a clearer denomination of the models - the LX (Landcruiser-based) and GX (Prado-based).

[Angelo1985]

The price is the bigger issue.
Having to choose between this and a well kitted defender, I’d go for the defender. Who knows, maybe they’ll import more and reduce the price a bit

[Turini]

Arguments aside the 4 cylinder diesel is a major let down for the LC in the UK market otherwise I would be looking at them as an alternative to our current Defender.

[Frankychops]

Angelo1985 said:

The price is the bigger issue.
Having to choose between this and a well kitted defender, I d go for the defender. Who knows, maybe they ll import more and reduce the price a bit

The Land Cruiser will hold its value better, cost less run and look less ‘chavvy’. You’d have to really want a defender

[Lefty]

Luckily everyone in the uk does

[S600BSB]

Looks fantastic.

[biggbn]

Lefty said:

Luckily everyone in the uk does

I'd take the LC every time.

[_Rodders_]

Frankychops said:

Angelo1985 said:

The price is the bigger issue.
Having to choose between this and a well kitted defender, I d go for the defender. Who knows, maybe they ll import more and reduce the price a bit

The Land Cruiser will hold its value better, cost less run and look less chavvy . You d have to really want a defender

Even more nickable though.

There's one on our street and he's had to put bollards up as they've had one attempt already.

[GianiCakes]

Frankychops said:

The Land Cruiser will hold its value better, cost less run and look less chavvy . You d have to really want a defender

Or you’d have to want something that’s half way decent to drive on the road. I did 600 miles in a new LC last year expecting to like it but really didn’t. The engine is rough and gutless and the driving aids are a real pita to turn off. I never did figure out how to turn off the driver attention monitor which bonged every time I turned my head. Off road all that stuff continued to go crazy with unnecessary warnings.
It’s nowhere near as useable as the Defender or as good a roadtrip car. I recommend taking an extended test drive before buying an LC. Chavy specs are available for both so can be optioned or avoided depending on your inclination.

[nismo48]

GianiCakes said:

Frankychops said:

The Land Cruiser will hold its value better, cost less run and look less chavvy . You d have to really want a defender

Or you d have to want something that s half way decent to drive on the road. I did 600 miles in a new LC last year expecting to like it but really didn t. The engine is rough and gutless and the driving aids are a real pita to turn off. I never did figure out how to turn off the driver attention monitor which bonged every time I turned my head. Off road all that stuff continued to go crazy with unnecessary warnings.
It s nowhere near as useable as the Defender or as good a roadtrip car. I recommend taking an extended test drive before buying an LC. Chavy specs are available for both so can be optioned or avoided depending on your inclination.

Does make you wonder why even bother