Toyota’s very popular off road luxury SUV, the Land Cruiser started life as a purpose designed 4×4 vehicle for extreme conditions. It has seen duty in the harsh lands of Africa, Middle East and even Borneo outclassing some of the best its competitors have to offer. With the given nickname, ‘Ninja Turtle’ in Borneo, it is by far the most popular 4×4 SUV and has a very popular following.
Now the new version is being unveiled. The Land Cruiser now sports a new style since its 2007 launch. The restyled 2012 Land Cruiser features a slightly altered front bumper, slightly revised front grille, headlights with integrated LED daylights, and somewhat thinner tail lamps.
The vehicle is coupled with a 4.6-litre V8 engine yielding 318 horsepower, 460-Nm peak torque and a six-speed sequential transmission. The 2012 Land Cruiser is equipped with a multi-terrain monitor that that gives the driver a 360-degree view of the surrounding on a dash-mounted screen.
The Land Cruiser also has a multi-terrain select system which modifies traction control and brake settings for different terrains (just like in the Range Rover) for rock, rock & dirt, mogul, loose rock and mud & sand. Toyota also equipped the 2012 Land Cruiser with a turn-assist function that cuts the turning angle at very low speeds. Local franchisee for Toyota in Malaysia will not be importing this model in just like before and so you will need to wait for the parallel importers to introduce it here in the coming months.
