RE: New Toyota Land Cruiser launched in UK 

RE: New Toyota Land Cruiser launched in UK 

Friday 26th April

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. 


Author
Discussion

churchie2856

Original Poster:

464 posts

198 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
I'd take this over the new Defender.

David87

6,789 posts

220 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
Toyota are really on top of their game nowadays. This will be an excellent car.

Also, must get an award for being the first car to have different headlamps between trim levels. Don't these things cost millions to develop and get approved etc? Seems mad. hehe

Olivergt

1,659 posts

89 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
That looks stunning, must be one of the best looking new cars for a long time.

Unfortunately, it's well out of my price range, but maybe when they are 10-12 years old, I might be able to get one. This is exactly what I did back in 2008, I bought a 10 year old 4.2 Amazon, one of the best cars I have ever had, I wish I had kept it.

oilit

2,696 posts

186 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
Im not an suv guy but this looks great

Jammez

670 posts

215 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
Like this, can’t wait to see it in the flesh.

Hopefully will shut up people who think the new Defender is too expensive and somehow LR should have made it cost £35k. Land Cruiser backs up the fact you just can’t churn something out at 1990’s prices!

Truckosaurus

12,047 posts

292 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
Olivergt said:
...but maybe when they are 10-12 years old, I might be able to get one. ....
I have similar thoughts, but then no-one buys them when new so the used ones still fetch silly money.

Although this one looks much better than the any of the other versions since the 70-series so might find more 'lifestyle' buyers.

Would have been good to have a petrol engine alternative as seen elsewhere in the world.

620S

394 posts

206 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
I do like it but i also despair that it is ANOTHER massive heavy car to pound the streets which would represents quite a risk for us who like to drive small light sporty stuff if every hit by one...

Vee12V

1,359 posts

168 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
Why would someone want one with the ugly headlights? Doesn't make sense.

Harry_523

426 posts

107 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
Cheap looking car with a nasty interior for more than a Defender. It better be "bullet-proof" for that money...

Its still preferable to the Ineos thing I suppose

sam.rog

909 posts

86 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
Looks like its made out of lego.

Drunk

2 posts

8 months

Friday 26th April
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IMHO this really looks like the soon to be launched Dacia Bigster.

GreatScott2016

1,494 posts

96 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
I like that. Definite touch of Defender about it and will no doubt be bullet proof too.

Sr.Gringo

490 posts

97 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
Truckosaurus said:
Would have been good to have a petrol engine alternative as seen elsewhere in the world.
This is strange. I don't live in the UK and where I am, the Land Cruiser is the SUV of choice, especially the big-engined, petrol-guzzling versions, yet in Europe, only the diesel version was available. Why is that, I wonder? The European market doesn't seem averse to buying petrol-powered Range Rovers, or any other large, petrol-engined vehicle, so why would they not want to buy a petrol Land Cruiser?

Hopefully, the launch of a new model will drive down the prices of the old one, although not much, I'd imagine. Most people love their Land Cruisers more than they love their kids biglaugh

Well done, Toyota. Socking it to the Germans again!


Nick Pappagiorgio

75 posts

41 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
3-door petrol would be good here too please

rwindmill

439 posts

166 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
Hmmmmm, take a Landrover Defender, some tracing paper and.......................voila!!

The KIA EV9 is the same.

It would appear that all the design houses in the world, have had every piece of equipment stolen from their studios, with the exception of a ruler and a pencil.

Evercross

6,336 posts

72 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
David87 said:
Also, must get an award for being the first car to have different headlamps between trim levels.
Hardly.

Countless makes/models do this, some having 3 different headlamp units (halogen, HID and LED). Just that they don't make it so obvious as this by styling them blatantly differently.

Pica-Pica

14,503 posts

92 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
I quite like the exterior. The interior looks too fussy. No rotary Air Con dials? Bad move that. Also, what happens to the relative position of transmission lever and cup holders?, do they mirror-image that for RHD, or do they stay as in the pictures?

gruppeb86

488 posts

21 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
Am interested to know., what qualifications do you need to be a car designer. Appreciate their are intricacies with design to comply with regulations and ultimately putting it all together, but so far as the skin/overall appearance; Boring/generic.

That said, you can't reinvent the wheel, and for as long as something looks new, people will happily part with the cash.

MountainsofSussex

303 posts

194 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
Wonder how many Grenadier orders got cancelled once this got released? Kind of does the same job. But you know it'll last forever and can be fixed anywhere in the world. And looks less kit car inside...

Zed Ed

1,128 posts

191 months

Friday 26th April
quotequote all
Did wonder if the new 4Runner might have been a better fit for euro markets.

Lovely nonetheless, although I expect the chassis/handling and 2.8 diesel four pot will make it quite niche.

Wrangler Rubicon a fair amount cheaper.

Edited by Zed Ed on Friday 26th April 15:12