The variant was developed based on feedbacks from Dakar Rally drivers
The all-new 300 Series Toyota Land Cruiser has been officially launched in Japan, nearly two months after making its debut on the global stage. Over in its home market, the TNGA-F-based SUV is being offered with new V6 twin-turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. There are seven variants to choose from, five for the former and two for the latter.
From the images published alongside the press release in June, we knew that the off-roading king was getting the much-desired GR Sport treatment for the first time ever. We now have more information about the range-topping variant, which was developed based on feedbacks from drivers participating in the Dakar Rally.
Available in both petrol and diesel versions, the Land Cruiser GR Sport boasts a couple of technical improvements over the non-GR variants, all tuned to create an SUV that can tackle the harshest of conditions.
For starters, it gets the world’s first Electronic-Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS) that automatically and electronically controls each front and rear stabilizer independently, depending on road conditions and the individual conditions of each of the four wheels.
In addition to the E-KDSS, the Land Cruiser GR Sport is also equipped with both front and rear electronic differential locks, which according to Toyota, improves “performance in a variety of off-road environments”. Other variants get the rear Torsen LSD.
Despite the beefed-up chassis, the power output remains unchanged at 415 PS and 650 Nm for the 3.5-litre petrol engine, and 309 PS and 700 Nm for the 3.3-litre diesel mill. Both engines are paired with Toyota’s new 10-speed Direct Shift automatic gearbox, which offers wider gear ratios that lead to better fuel efficiency at high speeds. Starting acceleration and off-road performance have also been improved, claims the automaker.
Of course, the Land Cruiser GR Sport brings with it some exterior and interior changes to set itself apart from the rest of the lineup. On the outside, you’ll see the SUV sporting a sportier grille design with the Toyota script and GR emblem, variant-specific front and rear bumpers, black 18-inch alloy wheels, as well as black arch moulding, side mirrors, door handles and rear emblem.
Inside, there’s a GR-exclusive black and red leather upholstery, machined carbon-weave panels as well as GR emblems on the steering wheel, headrests and start-up screen. As an alternative, customers can also opt for an all-black upholstery.
As the range topper, the Land Cruiser GR Sport comes with pretty much all the bells and whistles. These include a 12.3-inch widescreen touch display, heated seats and seat ventilation, a fingerprint sensor in the center of the start switch, and the Toyota Safety Sense active safety package. Toyota says the the pre-collision system has been upgraded to detect oncoming vehicles at intersections and oncoming pedestrians crossing the street. An emergency steering assist function has also been added to the system.
The petrol version of the GR Sport variant is priced at JPY7,700,000 (RM297,120) while the diesel goes for JPY8,000,000 (RM308,700). As for the rest of the range, pricing starts at JPY5,100,000 (RM196,790) for the petrol GX variant and goes all the way up to JPY7,600,000 (RM293,260) for the diesel ZX.
