Facelifted LandCruiser, LX leaked in full

Toyota is about to release a facelifted version of its largest SUV, the LandCruiser, with more differentiation than ever across the model range, plus an upgraded Lexus LX with even more changes.

Last month we saw first images of the new-look 200 Series courtesy of a leaked shot via Middle Eastern website Almuraba.net, and then renderings of both the 2016 'Cruiser and its upgraded luxury twin, the Lexus LX 570, courtesy of Japan's Best Cars magazine.

Now a complete range of what appear to be official images of both hulking new SUVs has been published on the Facebook page of Middle Eastern automotive dealership Baniyas Cars Establishment.

Both models in the images wear significantly revised front-end designs with new sheetmtal from the windscreen forward, including a new twin-turret bonnet and fresh front quarter panels, plus redesigned headlights, bumpers and grilles.

In the case of the LandCruiser, Australia's top-selling extra-large SUV, grille designs differs between model variants, with the entry-level 'GX (STD)' seen here -- likely to replace the diesel-only GX that currently opens the range at $73,990 -- receiving ann all-balck grille.

Meantime the GX (likely to replace our GXL) has a chrome grille surround and the upper/mid-grade VX feastures a full-chrome grille that intersects the headlights to create a C-shape headlight graphic with lower LED daytime running lamps.

If the images are legitimate, the VX will also come with what look like bi-xenon headlights and, as it does now, fog lights, larger alloy wheels, chromed side window surrounds and door rub strips.

Images of the top-shelf Sahara have not been leaked, but the flagship LandCruiser is likely to offer further visual differentiation.

The revised Lexus LX 570, meantime, appears in images labelled '[Prototype]' in the official Lexus typeface wearing radical angular new headlights underlined by arrow-shaped LED DRLs, flanking a massive spindle grille.

It replaces the current model's spindle upper grille, bringing the top-of-the-line SUV in sync with the rest of the offerings in the luxury marque's portfolio.

Furthermore, the formerly wide fog lights are replaced with angular slivers, and there's also a new rear bumper and tailgate with matching angular L-shape tail-lights and overhead spoiler.

But while the 2016 LandCruisers come with only minor changes at the rear, the 2016 LX goes even further at the rear with an all-new rear quarter panel forming a new arrow-shape D-pillar design seen on other Lexus models, marking a significant difference in sheetmetal design to the LandCruiser on which it's based.

An interior image show an all-new dashboard design too, dominated by a prominent central woodgrain spear that extends the full width of the dash and onto the doors, with Lexus' latest wide-screen infotainment system sitting on top.

So far there's no information on powertrains for either model, but the 200 Series is likely to continue with its 4.6-litre petrol and 4.5-litre diesel V8s, while the LX 570 should continue exclusively with a 5.7-litre petrol V8 that currently produces 270kW and consumes 14.8L/100km.

Both of Toyota's flagship SUVs should bring advances in technology, but it remains to be seen if the Japanese giant's new autonomous emergency braking system will be offered in Australia.

Labelled 'Toyota Safety Sense P', it employs a combination of milli-wave radar and high-resolution camera to monitor the road ahead. It can engage the brakes automatically at any speed between 10 and 180 km/h; it can also avoid a collision with a car cruising ahead at closing speeds of up to 40km/h; and at speeds up to 30km/h it can brake to avoid pedestrians.

The current LX goes a few steps further than its 200 Series donor vehicle by offering five-stage Crawl Control, 19-speaker Mark Levinson audio, leather trim and 20-inch alloy wheels.

For the LandCruiser, this will be the first substantial upgrade wince the 200 Series was released in Australia in November 2007, while the current LX 570 arrived here in April 2008, making them both more than seven years old.

Despite that, sales of both models remain steady, with the Land Cruise notching up 3750 sales to May this year and the LX 570 finding 71 homes so far this year – up more than 20 per cent on the same period in 2014.

While the LX is outsold in the extra large $100,000-plus luxury SUV market by the Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, which will soon be known as the GLS, it will face its most serious competition yet in the form of the all-new QX80 from Nissan's Infiniti luxury brand.

Based on the slow-selling Y62 Patrol, the QX80 will arrive here for the first time next month, around when Nissan Australia will relaunch the Patrol – the LandCruiser's only direct rival – with a two-model line-up bringing price cuts of up to $25,000.

Toyota Australia has confirmed our May report that it will release an upgraded MY16 Prado in August, fitted with a new downsized 2.8-litre diesel engine that will also power the upcoming 2016 HiLux due on sale in October.

We expect both the facelifted 2016 LandCruiser and LX 570 to be released in Australia around the same time.