Last night, Toyota revealed the 2022 Land Cruiser 300 (LC300) after months of speculations, renders, leaks and teasers. The Land Cruiser 300 has been completely reinvented providing the user with an all-new platform promising to give it improved on and off-road abilities. The 2022 Land Cruiser 300 will not be sold in North America.
The new Land Cruiser isn't merely a redesigned version of the Land Cruiser 200, which debuted back in 2007. For the latest LC300, Toyota has used its modular GA-F as the new base for it. This new chassis improves the weight distribution (Front: 46.5% & Rear: 53.5%), saves 200 kilograms of weight, and lowers gravity. Along with this, Toyota has also added a new electronic version of its KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension Setup) that adjusts the connection of the anti-roll bars. While the off-roading performance has been improved by adding more wheel articulation.
On the technology front, Toyota has added a "Multi-Terrain Monitor" that helps a driver spot the obstacles easily at the car's front. And a "Multi-Terrain Select" which automatically selects the driving mode based on the road conditions.
in line with the engine downsizing, Toyota has ditched its naturally aspirated V8 which was available in the Land Cruiser 200-series. The good news is that it has replaced the outgoing V8 with a V6, twin-turbo engine. There is also a V6, a twin-turbo diesel option for the market outside of the Middle East. The 3.5-litre, V6 twin-turbo manages to produce 409 horsepower and 649 Nm of torque. Though the engine has been downsized, the power and torque figures are genuinely impressive. The engine sends power to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission. Toyota has also mentioned that there will also be a naturally aspirated V6 mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission which will be available in some markets. The exact details of the powertrain are still undisclosed.
A quick glance at the new Land Cruiser 300 and you can make out there are some evident changes to the exterior. Namely, the new front sporting a massive grille and slimmer LED headlights with DRLs that remind us of the Supra and the Yaris GR. The rear end features slimmer LED taillights and a slightly thicker bumper.
The interior of the previous generation of the 200-series was, let's be honest, very outdated and rather unexciting. But on the latest generation, it has been given a huge overhaul. On the redesigned centre console sits a massive touchscreen that does not seem to be just slapped on the dashboard like the previous gen. The air-conditioning controls now sit right below the vents and the drive selector dials and buttons sit on the left side, closer to the driver. The driver's display has been reworked with fresh gauges and a digital display in the centre.
Toyota surprised all of us with the introduction of the GR specification of the Land Cruiser. For now, only a few images of this specification have been released without much information. But from the images, we can tell that the GR spec dawns a different front end, blacked-out grille, a different wheel and tire setup, more plastic cladding and a metal skid plate. Toyota plans on releasing the GR version by the end of this year. But boy, it does look like a tasty spec!
Toyota has mentioned that the new Land Cruiser 300 will be launched all over the world starting this summer. The VX-R (ZX) version will be available specifically for the Middle Eastern markets. Toyota also confirmed that the new Land Cruiser will not be launched in the United States and Canada owing to the slow sales. Even though the Land Cruiser represents one of the most capable and reliable cars from its lineup.
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