Toyota unveils fresh-faced LandCruiser

Toyota has lifted the official veil from the facelifted LandCruiser we saw in leaked images in May and June.

As we revealed exclusively in early May, the upgraded MY16 200 Series off-roader will arrive here in the second half of October — a month after the revised MY16 Prado and the same month as the new HiLux and its seven-seat SUV wagon sibling, the all-new Fortuner.

Chief among the technical changes are performance and safety upgrades, although only the Sahara flagship – which continues to top a seven-variant range, pricing for which is yet to be announced – receives new radar- and camera- based driver safety aids.

They include Lane Departure Alert, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Automatic High Beam and Pre-Collision Safety System, which can warn the driver of a possible collision and automatically apply the brakes.

Both of the LandCruiser's V8 engines receive upgrades, the 4.5-litre twin-turbo diesel gaining new fuel-injectors, revised mapping and a diesel particulate filter (DPF) with impact protection, all of which increases peak power by 5kW or 2.5 per cent to 200kW, although maximum torque remains 650Nm.

There are bigger changes to efficiency, with the Euro 5 emissions-compliant V8 diesel now around eight per cent more frugal with combined-cycle fuel consumption slipping under 10L/100km to 9.5L/100km.

The 'Cruiser's 4.6-litre petrol V8, meantime, comes with a revised air-injection system that directs secondary air through the exhaust ports to deliver faster catalyst warm-up from a cold start.

Power and torque outputs remain unchanged at a respective 227kW and 439Nm, but the petrol V8 now also meets Euro 5 standards and offers reduced fuel consumption, although Toyota doesn't say by how much. Current 200 Series petrol models guzzle a claimed 13.6L/100km on average. Six-speed automatic transmissions continue across the line-up.

Inside, Toyota has improved the soft-padding for contact areas within the cabin, while audio, air-conditioning and driver-related function switches, dials and displays have been reshaped and "consolidated into logical groupings" for improved ergonomics.

All models – including the diesel-only entry-level GX, mid-range GXL and VX, and the top-shelf Sahara – gain a centre cluster storage area and 12-volt outlet, while the Sahara adds a wireless charger.

VX and Sahara grades adopt a new Optitron instrument cluster with 4.2-inch TFT colour Multi Information Display, plus a new Electro Multi Vision and Navigation unit with larger 9.0-inch display screen (up from 8.0-inch).

The base GX is trimmed with grey fabric and GXL with grey or beige fabric, while the VX and Sahara offer the choice of black or beige for their leather-accented interiors. The GX remains a five-seater, while diesel VX and Sahara models offer seven seats and all other grades come with eight seats.

The MY16 changes are wrapped in a revised exterior, which is now available in a total of 10 paint colours, including two new hues: Copper Brown and Onyx Blue (unavailable on GX).

The biggest styling changes are at the front, where a redesigned grille intersects new projector-style headlights, atop a new bumper and ahead of a revised bonnet and front quarter panels.

Designed to be "more aggressive and prominent", the new grille features a hexagonal frame and triple horizontal bars, and is accentuated by a large concave section down the middle of the new bonnet, plus a wider lower grille.

Rounding out the cosmetic update are fresh side protection mouldings and door-handles, plus a new rear bumper, revised upper tailgate panel, restyled combination lamps and reflectors, and new mudguards.

The 200 Series faces fresh competition from its only real rival in the mainstream upper-large SUV segment – Nissan's revised Y62 Patrol line-up – but sales remain 4.3 per cent up so far this year, when the biggest LandCruiser accounted for more than 80 per cent of sales in its segment.