Toyota Land Cruiser 2013 News

Buying a used car is difficult enough in normal times.

The recall involves LandCruiser 70 Series wagon, troop carrier, single and double cab chassis models fitted with ABS brakes, and the notice cites a defect in the flexible brake hose bracket on the front differential. Under certain conditions, this bracket could fracture around the securing bolt and break, resulting in brake fluid leaking and a loss of braking ability.If the problem occurs, the lack of braking power could increase the risk of collision. However Toyota Australia spokesman Mike Breen says there has been only one incident reported locally, but with no injuries.He says owners of the affected LandCruisers -- estimated to be about 22,000 around the world and 14,000 in Australia -- should take their vehicles to a Toyota dealership to have them inspected. "Not all of the LandCruisers will be affected, but some will need to have the bracket and hose replaced if needed.The recall affects Toyota LandCruiser VDJ7# models  built between May 2012 through to March 2014. The VIN range covers the following: JTE EV73J# 00008761 - 00010163; JTE RV71J# 00005989 - 00006736; JTE RV73J# 09001428 - 09001708; JTE BV71J# 04000001 - 04005420; JTE LV71J# 00028750 - 00033096; and JTE LV73J# 09010556 - 09014211. The VIN number for your vehicle is located on the build plate in the engine bay.

An American heavyweight SUV is being readied for a potential attack on Toyota's LandCruiser. After more than 15 years of unfulfilled dreams and broken promises, Dodge is finally planning to bring its Durango seven-seater to Australia.American sources confirm to Carsguide the early stages of a right-hand drive program that's been promised on the Durango since it was launched in 1998. The RHD plan exploits a mechanical platform and factory shared with the latest Grand Cherokee that's been a big success for Jeep in Australia.The massive SUV could be here inside 18 months. The Durango could even be badged as a Jeep and could, potentially, be sold with a price tag that's $5000 or less above the current $43,000 starting sticker for the Grand Cherokee.The Durango is big and bold, sells well in the US and would be relatively cheap and easy to produce in right-hand drive. Fiat Chrysler admits the idea of a Durango in Australia is a good one."If it was available, with the right mix of specifications and pricing, we are confident that Australians would love the Durango," says company spokeswoman Karla Leach."With nearly 50 per cent of the SUVs in the Grand Cherokee's competitive set being seven-seaters (having the same number) would allow us to offer a fresh and appealing alternative in this significant market segment."This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover 

Federal MPs, staffers and their families have crashed or damaged 227 taxpayer funded cars in the past two years - one for every MP and senator in Parliament. Australia's lawmakers also have a leadfoot, running up 177 speeding fines in the past two years.A Freedom of Information request lodged by The Sunday Mail reveals a long list of traffic infringements, fines and accidents involving the fleet of cars provided to the nation's politicians. In the past two years alone, MPs and senators' cars have been caught by 16 red light cameras. But the biggest problem seemed to be convincing MPs and staffers to pay the nation's road tolls.There were 423 times when MPs or whoever was driving their car failed to pay the road tolls. According to the Department of Finance, there were 227 accidents recorded, a figure that neatly matches the 226 MPs and senators who serve in federal Parliament. "Infringement notices are payable by the person responsible for the infringement," the Department of Finance said."The Department of Finance does not automatically receive actual infringement notices for all infringement-related events. In some cases, it is sent directly to the nominated driver by the relevant authority.""Finance does receive an administrative notice from our contracted service provider imposing a liability to pay an infringement administrative processing fee which is then invoiced to the relevant Senator or Member," the department said. MPs have previously blamed wild donkeys and kangaroos for inflicting damage on their cars or blamed other drivers.Deputy Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce once wrote off a $75,000 Toyota Landcruiser after trying to cross a flooded creek in NSW. Liberal frontbencher Nigel Scullion came a cropper after hitting a donkey."It did a fair bit of damage and ended up with a broken leg - so I shot it," Senator Scullion said.

That might sound like a silly answer to a serious question, but it's the best solution for optimum shopping in the back end of 2013. You see, Korea now makes better Japanese cars than the Japanese. And that's a fact.There are some exceptions, and some categories where the Koreans are still getting a foothold, but a Hyundai i30 or a Kia Cerato is a far better choice than a Mitsubishi Lancer, a Kia Sportage makes more sense than a Honda CR-V, and a Hyundai Santa Fe is much better buying than a Toyota Kluger.This Korean tide has been rising for a while, but it's now filled showrooms with quality cars that are backed by industry-leading five-year warranties with capped-price servicing costs. The two Korean juggernauts are also serious about tuning their cars for Australian drivers and roads, which is becoming a serious selling point and also a battlefield for bragging rights between Hyundai and Kia.Even Daewoo, which was absorbed into the Holden empire to provide cut-price cars such as the Barina and Captiva, is now doing a better job as the engineering and design expertise from Fishermans Bend is absorbed deeply into the Korean content on the cars. And don't forget that the Aussie-made Cruze compact, despite its local tweaking and assembly in Adelaide, began its life at the GM Daewoo division in Korea.Without getting into a history lesson, the seismic shift between Japan and Korea comes down to three things. First is the deep-seated rivalry between the two countries, second is the well-lit path to success blazed by Japanese makers including Honda and Toyota, and third is the Global Financial Crisis. How's that?Well, nothing makes a Korean businessman happier than beating a Japanese rival, even though the Japanese were the first Asian companies to achieve success in motoring thanks to cars like the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and the classy machines that followed. These days, the Nissan GT-R is a legend and the Toyota LandCruiser is an icon.So the Koreans assimilated the Japanese business model for cheap, reliable and sensible cars - think of the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Rio - and then found a way to build them with similar quality at a lower price. There was a time when the cabins of Korean cars stank - because of the 'release agent' applied to plastic parts - and the assembly was slipshod and downmarket, but not today. They also have aircon with Japanese efficiency, always a pointer to intelligent engineering in Australian weather.But it's the GFC which has made the biggest difference. While the Japanese brands panicked, cutting costs and stretching the lifetimes of their cars, the Koreans accelerated their development plans, brought new models, and invested in their dealerships in Australia.The results are obvious now as many Japanese cars - we're talking about the Honda Civic and Subaru Impreza - have lost their previous edge, while others - think Mitsubishi Pajero and Subaru WRX - are way overdue for a remake.In the meantime, Hyundai is now plotting a move upmarket with its luxury Genesis models and Kia is setting a global standard for quality styling thanks to its recruiting of design genius Peter Schreyer. Best of all, when you're buying, it's the driveaway pricing that's been a Korean signature since Hyundai blazed that trail in the 1990s to get nervous shoppers over the line.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

The 200 Series LandCruiser is the latest in a long line of vehicles with good towing credentials - a braked towing capacity of 3500kg - and the latest update will only enhance the hauling cred.The LandCruiser 200 Series is the first Toyota to get a trailer sway control function within the stability control system to reduce the problems of a trailer swaying from side to side, a dangerous problem caused by crosswinds, bumpy roads or sharp turning manoeuvres.Ford's Ranger, the Mazda BT-50, the VW Amarok and the Jeep Grand Cherokee are among the 4WDs already offering the sway control system. The stability control system already uses yaw-rate sensors, acceleration sensors and steering sensors to detect a loss of car control and extends the use to towed vehicles.The driver gets a warning on the instrument panel that the system is active (if they haven't already noticed) and brake lights are also illuminated by the system. The Toyota Landcruiser 200 Series upgrade has also brought with it dual front knee airbags across the range, as well as rear seat side airbags for the VX and Sahara models, but the drivetrain goes unchanged.The Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series is available with a 227kW/439Nm 4.6-litre V8 petrol or a 195kW/650Nm 4.5-litre twin-turbo diesel V8 and a six-speed automatic. Prices have risen by $1500 as a result of the upgrade, starting from $78,990 for the five-seater turbodiesel GX.

You might have seen the TV ad for a budget brand ute, the one in which the dopey looking bloke goes “d'oh” because he bought a far more expensive brand.Sure, he's down a few thousand bucks but he, his loved ones and possibly even his employer won't be so quick to self-admonishment should he survive a big prang.The chances of this happy outcome remains lower in Chinese-made working vehicles than in any from the Japanese brands, Ford, Holden or Volkswagen. Much lower in most instances.In the past month, the Australian New Car Assessment Program -- the line-filling moniker for the local agency that crashes cars into walls and rates how they hold up -- crunched the body of and the numbers on the latest such conveyance from Cathay.Foton's Tunland 4WD light-commercial dual-cab was awarded three stars from five. That's almost but not quite as poor as it gets these days, but a possibly generous assessment given the absence of electronic equipment mandatory for the full five stars.Nor is the Tunland especially cheap at $34,500. Hard to grasp why that sum shouldn't include stability control, a fixture standard elsewhere and arguably even more important for vehicles with a high centre of gravity.“There really is no excuse for a new vehicle coming into the market today to be without stability control, which is now mandatory for passenger cars,” ANCAP's Lauchlan McIntosh says.ANCAP is irksomely apt to claim credit for pushing major safety advances that originate with car makers and are compelled by market forces. Yet it has also admitted to being two years behind Euro NCAP in its methodology.There’s no quibbling on this point, however, certainly not when two such old stagers as Toyota's LandCruiser and Mitsubishi's Pajero have both been upgraded to five stars after equipment improvements.The Chinese brands fare not so well. The Chery J1 gets three stars, and the Chery J11 gets two stars. The Great Wall V240 gets two stars and X240 gets four stars. Carsguide does not recommend a vehicle of any sort that has less than four stars. Indeed, we’ve directed our team to not so much as test them. We say you shouldn’t so why should we. Some of us have families. None of us are suicidal. 

We’ve asked some dealers which are the best deals they have going – and why. It may be an extra equipment pack, it may be a great price, or it may be a fantastic finance deal. See the latest dealsTim Kennett at Belcar says their best deal is a Mercedes-Benz CLA 200. “Priced from $49,900 this highly sought-after immaculate update model has it all. Seat memory, sunroof, multi-spoke alloy wheels and suave black leather interior just to name a few features.” See the latest dealsChris Myers of Chris Myers Car Sales in Magill says his best deal is a Mazda 6 diesel wagon priced from $41,650. See the latest dealsScott Parker of Jim Best Ford in Clare says his best deal is a Ford Ranger XLT dual cab turbodiesel for $60,244. “This Ranger has had one owner, low kilometers and is immaculate,” he says. See the latest dealsSteve Vo at Peter Warren Toyota in Liverpool says the best deal he has this week is a Toyota Landcruiser GXL Turbo Diesel Auto for $83,990 driveaway. “Average wait time is 3-4 months to build, RRP is $94,414. Unbelievable clearance with drive away no more to pay price,” Steve says.See the latest dealsMark Courtney at Macarthur Kia in Narellan says the best deal he has this week is a Kia Rio S priced from only $15,290. “Featured packed, funky and cool, this the Reborn Kia Rio. This stylish little package has all the goods without breaking the bank,” Mark says.  See the latest dealsJon Clark-Monks for The Highway Autogroup has a wonderful Mercedes B180 CDI in Blue with full black leather interior. See the latest dealsStewart Rhodes of John Hughes Prestige in Victoria Park says the best deal he has right now is a Volkswagen Touareg priced from $62,990. See the latest dealsPeter Castieau of Warehouse Autos in Balcatta says his best deal is a Toyota FJ Cruiser for $52,476.85 drive away. “Impossible to find this good at this price. Travel around Australia tomorrow,“ he says.  

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.