LandCruiser facelift pics leaked

A Middle Eastern website, Almuraba.net, has blown the cover off the impending facelift of the Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series.

Few details have been available prior to now, although motoring.com.au did recently report that the revised Cruiser was on the way here, scheduled to arrive in October.

A booklet that appears to be a training aid for Toyota sales staff has fallen off the back of a truck, only to be snapped up by the enthusiast website. The context seems clear: shaded sections of the body (including the vehicle's wheels) show exterior parts and panels replaced or redesigned for the facelift of the Cruiser. Based on that, it appears the LandCruiser will retain roof, pillars, rear quarter panels and doors, but the rubbing strips, door handles, front quarter panels, grille, lights and bumper covers will all change. Lights include tail lights as well as headlights.

The one and only photo of the new model's frontal styling shows projector-beam headlights and LED daytime running lights in integrated clusters. And the grainy image recalls Kluger styling details – but grafted on the enduring LC200 nose.

And 'enduring' is the operative word here. Launched in Australia during 2007, the LandCruiser 200 Series is facing a much longer tenure than its predecessor, the 100 Series, which ran from 1998 to 2007 – just nine years. Prior to that the 80 Series Land Cruiser ran from 1990 to 1998 – eight years.

Age doesn't seem to be wearying the LC200 in this market however; last year the big Toyota sold over 9000 units for the year. That was nearly five times the number of its closest rival, the Nissan Patrol.