The king of the hills still reigns

ROAD TEST TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 3.0 D-4D LWB GX AUTO:The ultimate off-roader remains top of the class, even if its new auto transmission is a disappointment. Perhaps the only thing too steep for the Land Cruiser to overcome is the price

WELCOME TO the king of the hills: suited soft-roaders need not apply. Let’s cut to the chase – this is no SUV. When Toyota first launched the Land Cruiser in the 1950s, terms like SUV and crossover weren’t in the motoring lexicon, let alone the general public’s vocabulary.

Vehicles like this were designed for one thing: going off-road. It would have seemed laughable to buy one for a school run or commuting to the office. It would be akin to buying a John Deere or Massey Ferguson and living in a terraced house without a blade of grass to call your own.

Thanks in part to tax breaks in the US for commercial pick-ups and their knock-on popularity among wannabe outdoor types, who in reality were office drones, the SUV rage spread from the farms of middle America to the city streets of Europe. Within a decade or so, even family hatchbacks were redesigned to pretend they were tough, rugged off-roaders. In reality, most can barely manage to get up a muddy drive.

No doubt Toyota benefited in part during the heady days of economic excess from sales to suburban families in need of an ego boost. Yet the Land Cruiser held true to its initial DNA.

There might be the whiff of leather and the cooling breeze of air-con in the cabin, their might be cruise control at your fingertips and thick carpet on the floor, but the ability to climb a mountain pass or traverse a swollen riverbed has never been compromised for creature comforts. It has always remained true to the engineering principles on which it was created and if buyers waste money on technology they never use, then so be it – they are fools with their money.

The fact the Land Cruiser didn’t soften its cough to meet these new demands is exemplified on the roads of every inhospitable region on the planet. When humans must conquer the elements, particularly along the equator’s line, you’re likely to see a Land Cruiser lending its motoring support. It sounds like fanciful advertising but there’s ample evidence from Afghanistan to Venezuela and on the streets of the tumultuous northern African states right now that the Land Cruiser has come to represent a motoring safety net in challenging times.

Generations of aid workers, UN staffers and intrepid explorers readily attest to this car’s credentials. While travelling recently from Chicago to Detroit with a US army officer, he spent 15 minutes of the flight – unprompted - singing the praises of the Land Cruiser in the various conflict zones he had the misfortune to serve in. The only problem he had with them was that they were usually in the hands of the opposing side.

This is the latest iteration of the iconic off-roader. In design terms there’s little to talk about: the looks have evolved over the years, with little surprises. It’s smart enough to survive in the urban streets, but its size clearly signals that this is not its natural habitat. It looks a little lost when surrounded by superminis and cyclists, like a work horse among a herd of dandy ponies. But take it out on the open country roads and the Land Cruiser quickly settles in.

Toyota claims it hasn’t compromised off-road ability for on-road prowess, that it’s equally adept on both terrains. I would tend to disagree, for there is little out there that can match this vehicle’s off-road credentials and to equal that in on-road driving would make the Land Cruiser the best thing on four-wheels.

The reality is that it’s a very competent on-road car that performs remarkably well given its size and stature. It doesn’t slouch in bends and while the suspension doesn’t allow it to hug the apex of corners, it never really steps out of line. There are better handling SUVs, with more car-like handling credentials, such as the BMW X5 or even the Audi Q7, but they don’t come close to it in the rough and tumble.

This Land Cruiser is never going to corner like a sports car, but when you pit it against any of its direct rivals it doesn’t disappoint. Then again, it’s hard to identify many direct rivals that could come anywhere near its off-road potential. The Land Rover Discovery comes closest in terms of capability, but it doesn’t have the reputation for reliability of the Toyota, while even its latest 3-litre diesel engine still falls into the highest road tax band.

This Land Cruiser is not without its flaws. The automatic gearbox, designed with fuel-saving in mind, is a rather lazy five-speed affair that turns the potent 3-litre diesel powertrain into a bit of a slouch. It’s a pity, because even for the amount of metal it must move, this 3-litre diesel engine should be capable of having much more pep in its step. While the automatic transmission has obvious benefits for motorway driving and in towns, if you’re considering the shortwheel-base version then opt for the manual transmission which, although I didn’t get a chance to try it, should make more of the engine’s potential. It’s the biggest hindrance to the Land Cruiser’s on-road performance, the one disappointment in an otherwise solid car.

But this vehicle’s natural habitat is still in the hills. I never came close to pushing this vehicle to its limit this time around, merely soaking its tyres driving along the bed of a trickling stream and over a few sand dunes.

Yet I have a long history of witnessing from behind the wheel what this vehicle can accomplish. I’ve had the pleasure of driving these vehicles up sheer rock faces, along riverbeds with the water lapping up against the door panels, and shimmied up sandbanks that swallow you up to your calves if you are foolish enough to venture out of the cabin. At such events you quickly realise the support crews aren’t there to rescue you: their job is to egg you on. I readily admit to closing my eyes on a few occasions as a Land Cruiser defied the laws of physics down a near-vertical drop.

There is, however, one insurmountable problem facing this latest Land Cruiser as it arrives on Irish shores, one that seems too steep even for its undoubted prowess. While the commercial range starts at €37,675, the passenger range only begins at €61,995, while the seven-seat long-wheelbase version opens at another €10,000 more. In these current times, and despite a drop in emissions from 243g/km to 213g/km and a saving of €1,050 a year in road tax on the new model, that’s perhaps one mountain this vehicle can’t quite climb.

As you probably guessed by now, I have a serious soft-spot for the Land Cruiser, earned not only by first hand experience, but also from conversations with people whose livelihoods – and in extreme cases their lives – depend on this vehicle’s ability. Too many of them have spoken of their faith in the Land Cruiser for it to be ignored, and none of them owe any loyalty to Toyota. The Land Cruiser is the real deal, an off-roader that leaves the rest in the shade. The price may be too steep for most of us for now, but there’s little question about its ability.

Engine

2982cc 16-valve four-cylinder DOHC common-rail diesel putting out 190bhp @ 3,400rpm and 420Nm of torque from 1,600rpm

0-100km/h

11.7 seconds

L/100km

(mpg) urban - 9.7 (34.8); extra-urban - 7.1 (39.7); combined - 8.1 (34.8)

Emissions

(motor tax) 213 g/km (€1,050)

Specification

Seven airbags; cruise control; three-rows of seating on long wheelbase versions; A-TRC/VSC + Hill-Assist Control (HAC) and Downhill Assist Control (DAC); Active Traction Control/Vehicle Stability Control(A-TRC/VSC); dual-zone air-con

Price

€71,995