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By
EWAN KENNEDY
14 January 2008
Towards the end of 2007 we tested several variants of the new
Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series in the desert and bush around Alice
Springs. That was at the time of the national press launch of what
is one of the most important vehicles in the Toyota range from the
Japanese-Australian company’s point of view.
Though more LandCruisers are used in real outback conditions
than is the case with almost all other 4WDs, it’s a fact that
the majority are going to be used in the suburbs, not in the
wilds. So we have just spent a week with a new LC200 in our home
area on the Gold Coast, the hinterland behind it, and on that huge
motorway running between the Coast and Brisbane.
On the whole the big Cruiser handled the situations well. But
note that word ‘big’, this is a large vehicle in every sense
of the word. Not only is it long and wide, it feels bulky and
could be intimidating for anyone not used to driving what is,
after all, a semi-commercial vehicle, not a passenger car.
Visibility is good in all directions, even around the front
windscreen pillars, often a poor area in current vehicle design.
Driving isn’t too bad in the outer and mid-range suburbs, but
crowded narrow streets can be a pain at times. Parking isn’t
helped by a large turning circle and the sheer size of the LC200,
but its height isn’t excessive and we never struck, pun
intended, a low-roofed parking station that couldn’t cope with
it.
Getting in and out is awkward at times, a drawback of this
being a genuine off-road vehicle. It’s a fair climb up to the
seats and they are set a good distance inboard. All this metal and
plastic that you have to climb over can be stained with mud or
rain, which doesn’t do a lot for your clothes if you get it
wrong.
The interior is spacious and the LandCruiser 200 can seat up to
eight people. Six can be adults, though four plus four children is
more realistic. The second-row seats can slide backwards and
forwards to juggle the amount of legroom. When they are all the
way back the legroom they provide is limo-like. Naturally, the
third row seats are very cramped when you slide the centre row all
the way back.
Headroom in the latter two rows of seats could provide problems
with tall travellers, or standard height occupants who want to
wear their Akubras.
In-cabin stowage space is very good, with a positively
cavernous centre-console box, large door pockets that can take
voluminous drinks bottles and numerous little nooks and crannies
for sunnies, mobiles, wallets and the like.
The two rearmost seats fold up against the side of the luggage
area when not in use and there's still plenty of luggage space
between them when they are stowed. Even with the seats in use you
can fit a fairly hefty suitcase behind them.
Most LandCruiser 200s in Australia will be powered by a new
4.5-litre twin-turbo diesel powerplant. However, our test car had
the optional 4.7-litre petrol engine with 202 kW, and 410 Nm at
3400 revs.
The fuel consumption of the petrol engine has been officially
measured at 14.5 litres per hundred kilometres, not bad for a
vehicle in this class, but we struggled to come anywhere near that
figure in real life. Even on the motorway the engine was typically
using 12 to 13 litres per hundred kilometres, and around town the
dreaded 20 litres per hundred and beyond showed up plenty of times
on the in-dash consumption meter.
Performance is adequate without being exciting and the
five-speed automatic transmission is in the correct ratio most of
the time. But this is no hard accelerating road car in the manner
of the German SUVs.
Much the same can be said about the Toyota's suspension. The
latest system has been deigned to give good articulation for tough
off-road conditions, yet it retains an on-road ride that’s not
that far removed from that of a passenger car. A big, softly
suspended passenger car, that is.
Some may find it too soft in the handling department, and the
steering on the slow side, but this Cruiser is very much a cruiser
and sharp dynamics were never part of the dynamic agenda.
And cruising is exceptionally easy. The suppression of NVH
(Noise, Vibration and Harshness) is most impressive and the big
Toyota has the sort of luxurious feel you expect in an upmarket
passenger car. The fact that the LC200 has been developed in
conjunction with the upcoming Lexus variant, the LX570,
undoubtedly had a lot to do with this near-silent running.
Primary safety in the LandCruiser 200 is assisted by ESP
(Electronic Stability Program) and ABS on all models. Secondary
safety is exceptional, with as many as 10 airbags being fitted to
the topline models, even the lower-cost versions get six and these
include curtain ‘bags that protect occupants in all three rows
of seats.
Drive is permanently to all four wheels, with high and low
ranges from which to choose. The latter are selected by a rotary
knob on the dash near the steering wheel. An electronic ‘crawl
mode’ has been developed for the harshest off-road running when
the petrol engine is installed.
All-in-all the new Toyota LandCruiser is a very intelligent
design. A genuine off-roader that provides good on-road ride and
performance, the 200 Series looks set to continue the sales
success that has been a feature of its honourable ancestors for
many decades in Australia.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
GXL 4.7-litre petrol five-door wagon - $69,990
VX 4.7-litre petrol five-door wagon - $79,990
GXL 4.5-litre diesel five-door wagon - $79,990
VX 4.5-litre turbo diesel five-door wagon - $89,990
Sahara 4.7-litre petrol five-door wagon - $94,990
Sahara 4.5-litre turbo diesel five-door wagon - $104,600
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in all models
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Stability Control: Standard in all models
Traction Control: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Toyota LandCruiser GXL 4.5-litre diesel
five-door wagon)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 4.461 litres
Configuration: V8
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 16.8:1
Bore/Stroke: 86.0 x 96.0 mm
Maximum Power: 195kW @ 3400 rpm
Maximum Torque: 650Nm @ 1600-2600 rpm
DRIVELINE:
4WD Type: Full-time
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 3.909:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4950 mm
Wheelbase: 2850 mm
Width: 1970 mm
Height: 1905 mm
Turning Circle: 11.8 metres
Kerb Mass: 2630-2700 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 138 litres
Towing Ability: 750kg (3500kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, double wishbone, hydraulic dampers,
anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Live axle, lower trailing arms, coil springs,
anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated disc
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Fuel Type: Petrol 91RON
Fuel Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 10.3 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000km
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Marque Publishing Company
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