Toyota’s mighty Land Cruiser has just received a new engine option for 2015. The three and five-door models will soon feature a new 2.8-litre D-4D unit, which replaces the current 3.0-litre engine. Toyota says it has focused on improved driveability with better torque delivery, plus lower fuel consumption and reduced carbon emissions.
The 2.8-litre, 16-valve DOHC engine produces 174bhp of power. Paired with the current six-speed manual gearbox, it develops peak torque of 420Nm between 1,400 and 2,400rpm. A new 6-speed automatic gearbox, meanwhile, offers even more pulling power, with an extra 30Nm on tap between 1,600 and 2,400rpm. The latter replaces the previous five-speed automatic.
According to Toyota, the new automatic model benefits from control systems that help Land Cruiser achieve around a 9 per cent improvement in fuel economy and CO2 emissions. The revised Land Cruiser with this new engine will go on sale in certain bits of Europe starting July this year. As for the Indian market, Toyota India could contemplate this new unit for the India-spec Land Cruiser Prado although chances are it could be introduced initially with the all-new Fortuner that is currently under development.
