Car of the week – November 30 – Toyota Land Cruiser VXR

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • The legend moves upmarket: Toyota Land Cruiser VXR

    More than 320,000 Land Cruisers have been sold in the UAE since the first one arrived in Dubai Creek in 1955 which is all you need to know to back up Toyota’s proud boast that this vehicle is the best-selling SUV in its class in this country.

    It is truly an iconic vehicle in that many families here have brought successive generations of this SUV since that first shipment of Land Cruiser BJ’s which paved the way for what would be Al-Futtaim Motors who are now coming to the end of the 60th Anniversary.

    And what better way to make that milestone than by redesigning the  vehicle that has been synonymous with 60 years of success.

    – Car of the week – November 26 – Volvo XC90
    – Car of the week – November 11 – Ferrari 488 GTB

    – Car of the week: October 29 – Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VXR

    The Japanese marque, quite rightly, call the Land Cruiser the Pride of the Land and in line with the way the UAE has developed as a country they have reworked this vehicle to take it onto the next level of excellence.

    They haven’t just tweaked this Land Cruiser but given it a complete makeover with 13 exterior changes, a new interior layout which they call “Life Control Layout” which is a bit gimmicky but essentially accurate if you think about it, an improved safety system, advanced technology and many more improvements which makes this the best Land Cruiser so far and takes it a considerable way upmarket.

    There wasn’t much wrong with the way the last generation of this vehicle looked but the new one is a vast improvement with a more aggressive, confident stance, thanks mainly to the redesigned hood and grille which gives it a more classy, sophisticated appearance. Sitting on optional 20-inch wheels this Land Cruiser really does look the business.

    The interior is the biggest improvement for me. There is more attention to detail from the high-grade perforated leather used for the front seats, the leather and wood steering wheel, refined aluminium-like trim, the classy instrument cluster to the infotainment system with a new large touchscreen which dominates the central dash.

    The whole cabin is a significant step up in style without losing its functionality with plenty of space with three rows of seats available.

    The third row folds away to create more luggage space. 

    This new Land Cruiser comes with three available engines but the best one is the 5.7-litre V8  with variable valve timing which our test car had.

    It has 362bhp and 540nm of torque, is both powerful and efficient, and is hooked up to a brand new eight-speed automatic gearbox which has a sequential shift mode to allow you to select gears manually.

    The technology is also state-of-the-art with the introduction of Turn Assist which works in conjunction with Crawl Control, Multi-Terrain Select, Multi-Terrain Monitor and Tyre Angle Display.

    It also has Active Height Control and Adaptive Variable Suspension. In other words,  this vehicle is one of the most technically advanced, safest,  SUVs on the market.

    To drive, the Land Cruiser now feels far more refined which will make it more appealing for those who do not necessarily want to take it off-road but make no mistake, it is even better prepared for those who do. It writes a fitting new chapter in the history of a legendary vehicle.

    Recommended