Toyota Land Cruiser 200 series 2007 review

The hulking Toyota LandCruiser has topped the off-road food chain for longer than most people can remember and, despite all sorts of threats from new rivals, rising fuel prices and its impact on the environment, there is no sign of it becoming extinct.

With the arrival of the all-new 200 Series LandCruiser, it is even bigger.

A waiting list in Australia is filled with people who want to get their hands on the big new truck.

They want the extra space, the new 4.4-litre turbodiesel V8, the eight-seat cabin, up to 10 airbags, locally developed KDSS suspension and the promise of improved economy in the diesel and petrol engines in the 200 Series.

They are not worried about a starting price of $69,990, or a weight blown out to nearly 2.7 tonnes, and Toyota says there are few plans to take their new Cruiser on the daily school run.

“The reality is that people now use a LandCruiser for its intended purpose; serious off-road and Outback work or heavy towing,” Toyota Australia product planning chief Doug Soden says.

He denies they are just suburban buses for cashed-up mums, and highlights a change in family buying patterns in the past five years.

“This is a niche model. Essentially, people who used to use LandCruisers for suburban work are now buying a Kluger,” he says.

Even so, some people will groan at the sight of the 200 LandCruiser parked in their local shopping centre, instead of out tackling a desert dune.

So, is the LandCruiser out of step in 2007? A dinosaur?

“Not really. We try to have a product to meet every buyers's need. The marketplace will decide when its time is past,” Toyota Australia, sales and marketing chief Dave Buttner says.

What the customers will get is a Cruiser that still has its traditional body-on-frame design, with two V8 engine choices; a six-speed auto for the diesel and five-speed auto for the petrol; and permanent 4WD.

Toyota is emphasising the new diesel, which has 30 per cent more power, 50 per cent more torque, and 6.3 per cent improved economy to a claimed 10.3 litres for 100km.

The body is stronger, the suspension improved with the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System; there is 130mm of extra space inside and the drag co-efficient is down to a respectable 0.36.

The latest LandCruiser will tow up to 3500kg, using a towbar integrated with the chassis.

But it still looks like a Cruiser, despite a shorter bonnet made possible by the compact V8s, the rework of the cabin and the finer details of the design.

Only three models are planned for this year and beyond; after the basic truck, with barn-style back doors was dropped. The GXL opens the action ahead of the VX and Sahara.

All three have 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic airconditioning, six airbags, stability control, traction control, a rear spoiler, sub-tank for fuel, power windows and six-speaker sound system. The petrol model gets the KDSS suspension.

The VX picks up front knee airbags and side airbags for the second-row seats, privacy glass, and leather trim, and the flagship Sahara gets a reversing camera, satnav, four-zone airconditioning and more.

Soden says the biggest technology improvement is the suspension system, developed by Kinetic in Western Australia.

“This system basically means no compromise, with huge wheel travel without roll on the road,” he says.

“It also helps on-road, by taking up the smaller bumps.”

And he defends the size of the 200 Series.

“People say they are hulking big 4WDs, but it is the height and the way they look. The LandCruiser is still shorter than a BF Falcon.”

Toyota Australia sales chief Dave Buttner believes the new Cruiser could reach record sales of more than 1000 a month.

On the road

The 200 Series LandCruiser is, as to be expected, a marvellous package of engineering, design and technology.

This Toyota wagon is 60mm longer and 30mm wider than its predecessor. The style, with higher beltline, is family-familiar and from some angles looks like a big RAV4.

The only small question here may be that strange protrusion sitting out on the side of the headlights, looking a little vulnerable to off-road damage.

Otherwise the new body, new chassis and the V8 engines (shorter than in-line sixes) allow for an extra 130mm in cabin space without too much extra bulk.

The driver still sits high and comfortable, fronting a busy, though legible, dashboard and controls.

All models have six airbags; front, side and curtain. VX and Sahara models score knee bags for the front two occupants and side airbags for two in the second row of seats; Saharas have a reversing camera, others are pre-wired.

All three trim levels; GXL, VX and Sahara have keyless starts; carry the fob, press the stop-start button. All have the usual comfort and convenience pieces, from airconditioning to electric windows and decent stereo systems.

Most of these are givens in an expensive four-wheel-drive, through to navigation systems for the Sahara.

The LandCruiser 200's strengths lie with its mechanical and electronic technologies offering more refinement on and off the road. The wagons steer, ride and handle better than before although there is no mistaking the vehicle's bulk when it arrives at a tighter turn. On the road this brings a little body roll, off-road in sloppy conditions it can lead to some understeer into the scenery.

Front suspension is all-independent, coil sprung. The rear is four-link, coil-sprung and the result offers excellent ride control and comfort.

The 4.7 litre petrol V8, matched here with five-speed automatic transmission, is smooth, quick and quiet through to its 202kW at 5400rpm. There is also a handy 410Nm of torque from 3400rpm.

Among innovations for petrol Cruisers is Crawl Control, a system that uses throttle and wheel speed sensors plus ABS to counter a petrol engine's tendency to run away, sometimes surge, in rough conditions.

There are three speeds up to 10km/h. While downhill control is similar to that experienced with other systems, Toyota's Crawl Control is something of a marvel when climbing ugly hills; the driver takes feet off brake and throttle pedals and just steers as the system controls engine output and braking to a uniform speed.

The diesel V8, churning out 195kW and 650Nm of torque from 1600rpm, arrives with a six-speed sequential gearbox and downhill assist. Toyota claims an average 10.3 litres per 100km, compared with 14.5 litres per 100km for the petrol V8, both said to better previous six-cylinder engines.

All six new Cruisers run constant four-wheel-drive, traction control and vehicle stability control; the latter now with an annoying beep-beep-beeping alarm as well as instrument warning lights.

Innovation means a more comfortable and more comforting LandCruiser wagon for serious off-roading and touring. It also means more dollars and a move further from the hose-out, knock-around LandCruisers of yesterday.

Snapshot

Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series

Price: from $69,990

On sale: Now

Models: GXL, VX, Sahara

Body: Five-door station wagon

Engines: 4.4-litre turbodiesel V8, 4.6-litre petrol V8

Power: 195kW at 3400 revs, 202kW at 5400 revs (petrol)

Torque: 650Nm at 1600-2600 revs, 410Nm at 3400 revs (petrol)

Transmission: Six-speed auto, five-speed auto (petrol); constant four-wheel drive.

Safety: Front-side airbags (up to 10 in Sahara), stability control, anti-skid brakes, crawl control (petrol models)

Economy: 10.3 litres/100km (diesel), 14.5 litres/100km (petrol)

Do you think the 200 Series will turn into a typical rich mum's car?