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Toyota has unveiled a blink-and-miss facelift of its LandCruiser flagship ... Photo Gallery
The reigning monarch of large off-roaders - Toyota LandCruiser - has new robes.
But if you liked the old ones, don't despair - the LandCruiser has not changed much.
The updated 200 Series was revealed in Europe and the US and we're likely to see it March or April, says Toyota Australia - but they're not saying much else about pricing or specification.
The 200 Series falls into the ain't-broke, don't fix category in some respects - the Landcruiser wagon sold 9119 units last year, which is on par with 2010 and nearly three-quarters of the large SUV market, with only the veteran Patrol as opposition.
The Japanese giant has unveiled a blink-and-miss facelift of its LandCruiser flagship, which has a stranglehold on the large SUV segment in Australia. The changes are few, with a very minor styling change at the front - involving mild tweaks for the headlights and bumper - and an even more subtle tweak at the rear.
The Toyota stylists have also added the must-have fashion accessory of LED daytime running lights, as well as bi-xenon headlights, but Toyota is tight-lipped on which Australia-bound models will get the lighting package.
The big wagon's flanks are also altered, with new side protection mouldings, with the aesthetics also altered by new-look 20in alloy wheels and LED-equipped door mirrors. The mirrors also carry two of the four cameras used for the terrain monitoring system.
The updated LandCruiser is claiming a world-first Turn Assist system, which brakes an inside rear wheel to improve manoeuvrability and reduce the vehicle turning radius on tight corners (as part of Crawl Control system) for steep incline climbs and descents.
Also on the list of changes is the company's Multi-Terrain Select system, which seems to be inspired by Land Rover's Terrain Response set-up.
The Toyota system has five driving modes for different off-road conditions (Mud and Sand; Loose Rock; Mogul; Rock; and Dirt and Rock), with changes made to throttle, brakes and traction control to suit off-road conditions.
The driver also gets a good view of the driving conditions by means of the "Multi-Terrain Monitor," which automatically displays the surroundings on the screen, as well as being able to show steering wheel angle - again, similar to the Land Rover system.
Cabin changes to the updated 200 Series are aimed at raising perceptions of quality, with a new dash layout and infotainment set-up that includes a touchscreen control panel; there's also voice-control and Bluetooth within that system, as well as a heated steering wheel, heated and cooled front seats, a power-operated upper tailgate and an energy-efficient 14-speaker JBL sound system among the features likely to be offered.
The satnav system - Toyota Touch Pro - is controlled via a high-res eight-inch screen and when teamed with an appropriate mobile phone via Bluetooth, Touch Pro can connect to Google and Google Maps, allowing destinations to be entered remotely.
The instrument display is now the backlit white dials with blue illumination (again, something seen on existing Lexus and Sahara models).
The 4.5-litre V8 common-rail twin-turbodiesel engine will offer a little more power - up from 195kW to 213kW - and an unchanged torque figure of 650Nm (between 1600 and 2800rpm) and is now EuroV emission-compliant with the introduction of a particulate filter and piezo injectors.
The LandCruiser's steering remains a hydraulic system, but with what Toyota is calling Variable Flow Control to vary assistance according to the driving speed, with a dedicated off-road setting.
