What is it?
The king of all things, SUVs hardly need an introduction. An iconic vehicle, the Land Cruiser in this new generation you see in the video, was unveiled in early 2021 and instantly became an all-out success. It’s finally made it to the Indian shores, and with a rumoured price tag of Rs 2.1 crore, it is expected to be launched here within the next few weeks. Ahead of its official arrival, the car was on display at a Toyota stall at the 2023 Auto Expo and here are all the key details.
There’s nothing quite like a Land Cruiser when it comes to presence. The face is dominated by a sizeable three-slat grille, while the full LED headlamps look a bit dwarfed in front of the large LED DRLs that line up with the top slat and the Toyota logo. The hood sits high with a big dip in the middle to give a pronounced muscular hump.
At 4.98 metres, the Land Cruiser is massive, and it’s most evident in the profile view of the car, thanks to the overhangs and the shape of the roofline. The wheel arches are flared and lend a squat stance to the car. The massive tail lamps wrap around the edges and have intricate, vertically stacked patterns combining all the lights into one unit. It gets a large bash plate element and a silver badge just above the number plate slot.
How is it on the inside?
The cabin of the Land Cruiser will look very familiar to those who know the Toyota design language, as it uses many elements from across the Toyota parts bin. You get a vertical layout with a massive centre console, at the top of which sits a large 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Everything has an old-school rectangular feel to it, but the latest Toyota design language cleverly combines a mix of new and old.
The Indian market gets the LC300 as one fully loaded ZX model, and thus included are two screens for the rear seat occupants. Other features include power front seats, JBL sound system, TPMS, ventilated seats, foot opening tailgate, and wireless charging. At this price bracket and on paper, at least, the feature list feels a bit low, especially when you consider the cars that the LC300 is going up against in the segment. It lacks ADAS and a rear seat comfort package similar to the one in the Innova Hycross. There’s no word on whether these will even be available at the dealer level as an accessory. However, as we said in the exterior section, nothing makes a statement quite like a Toyota Land Cruiser, and we suppose that should make up in some way for the bland feature list.
Globally, you can have the LC with three rows of seats, but the Indian market will only get it as a five-seat version.
What’s under the hood?
The India-spec LC300 is powered by a 3.3-litre V6 diesel producing 304bhp and a “healthy” 700Nm of torque. Yes, that’s right. No hybrid tech or electric motors. Just an old-school V6 engine torque for all the motivation that you need. This engine is mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission. This vehicle wouldn’t be a Land Cruiser if it didn’t have some smart terrain-conquering technology in the form of 6+ drive modes and a transfer case for proper AWD application. Combine this with a 110-litre fuel tank and high ground clearance, and the LC can become a Grand Tourer if needed. There’s no petrol option for the Indian market, which may be a turn-off for those who don’t drive as much but can afford the LC for its presence.
What about pricing and competition?
We know that Toyota will price the LC300 at Rs 2.1 Crore making it an expensive but desirable proposition for those that know the car and its heritage. It rivals the likes of the Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz G Wagon, and its Lexus cousin, the LX, that’s priced at Rs 2.82 crore.
