The King Still Rules

15 November 2021

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By Paul Gover.

There is a reason the Toyota LandCruiser is called The King.

It rules the outback with the same solid strength and absolute reliability as Elizabeth II, and is only slightly younger.

One difference is that the mighty ‘Cruiser is all new again, with a total wheels-up revamp for 2021.

The bodywork is a bit chunkier and a touch more aggressive on the nose, there are new electronics that work more magic for the four-wheel drive system, and the hero power-plant is now a twin-turbo diesel V6 – which has already disappointed the LandCruiser faithful who loved the outgoing petrol V8 – bolted to a 10-speed automatic gearbox.

Even so, the recipe for the The King is the same as always and just as good for Australians and Australian conditions.

It’s still a giant seven-seater box sitting on top of an old-school ladder chassis, all-new of course as Toyota works through all its models in the lead-up to electrification, with everything from off-road ground clearance to a 3.5 tonne braked towing capacity.

Pricing? The newbie starts at $89,990 – still well above the absurd threshold for the Luxury Car Tax – and tops out at $138,790 for the flagship Sahara ZX.

My test car (truck?) is the mid-level VX at $113,990, a lot of money for a four-wheel drive but probably about right for a LandCruiser with plenty of comfort touches and a major step above the basic GX that comes with rubber floor mats.

The new styling is the obvious change, but things get more obvious inside with a giant centre console topped by a new-age infotainment screen.

Then there are the digital readouts, the electronic controls for the four-wheel drive, and even the USB power outlets that would have been spaceship stuff only one generation of LandCruisers into the past. So the cabin is more modern, but still with a traditional look and feel, and nothing like the futuristic approach of a Tesla.

But hit the start button and head out onto road, or onto the gravel, and it’s all reassuringly familiar.

There is a mountain of torque to overcome the ‘Cruiser’s heft, the steering and grip are solid and dependable, and the car is quiet and comfortable at freeway speeds.

It’s still not easy to park, but not as bad as a RAM pick-up, and a claimed 7 per cent improvement in fuel economy is not much.

But, with more time, the 2021 LandCruiser is quieter and more comfortable than I remember, the electronics – including Apple CarPlay – work well, and no-one complains about the the space or the load capacity. The old ‘barn door’ tailgate – which was split through the middle – is gone but loading is still fine.

There was no chance to tackle ‘Big Red’, the giant sand dune outside Birdsville, but – like a Range Rover – off-road ability is a given for the ‘Cruiser.