2022 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series – new GA-F platform saves 200 kg, V8 dropped for turbo V6

The all-new Toyota Land Cruiser has made its debut, the latest in a line of models bearing the nameplate dating back to 1951 with the BJ Land Cruiser. Dubbed the 300 Series, the latest Land Cruiser now takes on Toyota’s GA-F platform from the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) family, albeit remaining in ladder-frame guise to suit its reliability and off-road objectives.

Improvements to the latest generation are aimed at “creating a riding experience that enables the driver to drive with ease on any type of road in the world without tiring easily,” says Toyota. The redesigned body-on-frame construction has been aimed at reducing weight and increasing rigidity.

Here, 200 kg has been saved from the vehicle’s overall weight, including from its frame and body, in turn offering a lowered centre of gravity, improved weight distribution as well as improved suspension structure, says Toyota.

Off-road capability has been further improved through improved wheel articulation and thus its tyres’ ability to remain on the ground, while roadholding has been improved through the use of the Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, or E-KDSS; a world-first according to the manufacturer.

The driver’s lines of sight are augmented with the Multi-Terrain Monitor, offering a view of any obstacles directly ahead of the vehicle as viewed from the driver’s seat, while Multi Terrain Select automatically selects the most suitable driving mode for the type of road surface detected.

With the new platform comes a new range of engines as well, which in the case of the Land Cruiser is now comprised of six-cylinder engines; two petrols and a diesel. The V8 engine in the outgoing 200 Series Land Cruiser has been superseded.

The petrol unit is a 3.5 litre, twin-turbocharged V6 rated for 415 PS and 650 Nm of torque, while the diesel engine is a 3.3 litre twin-turbo V6 with 309 PS and 700 Nm of torque. Outputs are sent to a 10-speed automatic, and drive all four wheels. The third is a naturally aspirated V6 petrol engine paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox, and will be for selected, yet-to-be specified markets.

Safety kit in the latest, 300 Series Land Cruiser comes courtesy of Toyota Safety Sense with additional advanced functions, according to the manufacturer. In addition to collision avoidance and mitigation for pedestrians in daytime and at night, as well as for cyclists in daytime, two more functions have been added to the safety suite.

The first is for the detection of oncoming vehicles at intersections and oncoming pedestrians crossing the street when the vehicle in turning in either direction, while the second is an emergency steering and crash avoidance function that further assists with steering and lane keeping.

This is triggered when the driver performs an evasive steering manoeuvre, says Toyota. Also included in the active safety pack is Parking Support Brake, which is a form of autonomous emergency braking for the vehicle when it is moving forwards or backwards in a parking space. This will detect both vehicles and pedestrians, according to the manufacturer.

Meanwhile, the 300 Series Land Cruiser will be represented by a wider range of variants; in addition to the base and more luxuriously equipped models, there will also be a sportier GR Sport variant with black exterior trim and different wheels.

Market launches around the world for the latest, 300 Series Toyota Land Cruiser are planned for the summer of this year, says Toyota.

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