Toyota has just released its brand spanking new Land Cruiser in the UAE. In a year when Nissan gave us an upgraded Patrol, Land Rover brought back the Defender, and even Aston Martin announced it was dipping its delicately manicured toes into the 4x4 market with the DBX, this 2020 incarnation of the near 70-year-old Japanese road crusher is entering a crowded space. The Land Cruiser has form, though, having sold 10 million units around the world over the years, which, though still well behind stablemate the Corolla, shows something that might be termed by marketing people in turtle-neck tops and shiny suits as a 'following'. Like its other mates on the block, the top-end new version has power a-plenty, with a 5.7-litre V8 engine, which produces 362hp. On the outside, the grille retains its chrome tri-bar motif making up the rejigged front end, which has been further improved with LED fog lights. In the jazzing up department, the Land Cruiser is equipped with an intelligent automatically controlled eight-speed transmission and, as a first, a performance damper that, if you believe the bumpf, will provide “effortless road manners and driving comfort”. There is also a 10-inch audio and navigation unit in the cabin, as well as an upgraded interior. The Land Cruiser also now has a remote engine starter app, allowing users to start and stop their engines from anywhere in the world, which isn’t something the original designers would have likely ever dreamed of when the model was first introduced back in 1951. The app also enables the user to remotely open the trunk, ascertain location, and monitor driving history, temperature, and battery status. Prices start at Dh215,900 for the Land Cruiser’s base model, rising to Dh330,000 for the best-in-show affair. They’re available now from Al-Futtaim Toyota.
