Toyota silences Land Cruiser 300 Series doubters! New off-road icon to offer more grunt, towing and capability than V8-powered 200 Series - regardless of how many cylinders it has

If you're worried the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series will be somehow softer than the 200 Series, you need not be, with the brand here promising the new model will be better in every way than the car it replaces.

That's the word from Toyota Australia's sales and marketing chief, Sean Hanley, who was only too happy to allay any fears about the incoming vehicle, saying a new-gen car will continue to the LandCruiser's legacy of improving power, torque, towing and capability with each new model.

In fact, he told CarsGuide the new model would improve the LandCruiser formula in every imaginable way - no matter how many cylinders it has.

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"Toyota has a long-term commitment to the LandCruiser, it is a deeply important car to our brand. It's a nameplate that has served customers in some of Australia’s toughest conditions for more more than 60 years," Mr Hanley said.

"During that time. I’m immensely proud that LandCruiser has established a track record of continuing to improve its torque, its power, its towing and, of course, its off-road abilities. That what’s LandCruiser stands for.

"And I can assure you that any new-generation model will have the enhanced capabilities, and I am more than confident it will strengthen LandCruiser's legend status."

The news will come as music to the ears of anyone who thought the LandCruiser's reported six-cylinder diesel engine, or petrol-electric drivetrain, would diminish its capability in the Australian bush. While Mr Hanley wouldn't comment on the engine options, he did point out that there's more to power delivery than counting the cylinders under the bonnet.

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"The LandCruiser needs to be capable. It needs to be able to perform, drive, tow, as expected of a LandCruiser," Mr Hanley says.

"It has a huge heritage. It's a legend, actually, of capability in the Australian landscape. It’s clear that the number of cylinders are cubic capacity are not the only things that determine the powertrain performance.

"The powertrain of any future LandCruiser will be built to deliver. It will deliver on power, torque, towing and off- and on-road capabilities. And I am supremely confident that with whatever we do, it will continue to remain a very capable vehicle all round."

His comments come as reports continue to point to the new LandCruiser being offered with a bevy of engine choices - none of them with eight cylinders - that is expected to begin in Australia with a V6 diesel with our power to meet or exceed the 200kW and 650Nm on offer from the current V8 diesel.

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That engine is expected to be joined by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine, with a hybrid version of that engine expected to follow.

All will be revealed soon enough, with the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series edging closer to its reveal, with a launch date in Australia expected in 2021.