Toyota evokes spirit of adventure with new Land Cruiser

Squeezing down leafy country lanes in a location where Jeremy Clarkson once rolled a Reliant Robin across a cricket pitch for the Top Gear cameras, our Heritage Blue test car looked a little incongruous.

This is the fifth generation of an off-road icon, known for its bullet-proof dependability in the world’s most hostile places, after all.

Wherever you are, though, that kind of reputation holds huge appeal.

Prices start at £77,845 for the Invincible trim and £82,845 for the First Edition, tested here, which is marked out by its round headlights – a celebration of the original Land Cruiser – and contrasting roof.

That might make the Land Cruiser hard to justify over a Land Rover Defender, but it feels a quite different kind of vehicle.

Toyota has stuck with its tried-and-tested construction principles, with body-on-frame construction and a refusal to use complex air suspension.

The engine is a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel emitting 202bhp and 500Nm of torque.

A new eight-speed automatic gearbox is smooth shifting, but the powertrain does sound agricultural when compared to the six-cylinder units of a Defender or Ineos Grenadier, while 10.9 second acceleration to 62mph is slower.

Nor is it the most efficient in the class, claiming CO2 emissions of 280g/km and 26.2mpg fuel economy.

Toyota has innovated, however. This is the first Land Cruiser with electric power steering and a new disconnecting anti-roll bar system improves wheel articulation off-road.

With the 4WD low-range engaged, via a rocker switch on the centre console, you can also engage Crawl Control, fixing a stop-at-nothing pace to tackle off-road routes.

Inside, the Land Cruiser’s cabin may not represent the luxury some might expect for the money, but the focus is on usability and easy maintenance.

Alright, Toyota’s latest infotainment system is accessed via a pair of very modern 12.3-inch screens, while a panoramic sunroof floods the cabin with light, but elsewhere there are proper physical controls, a hefty gear selector and even a port for a tachograph.

Despite its off-road focus, the Land Cruiser handles life on the road well. Its supple suspension set-up lends a predictability to its handling, while its easy-to-spot extremities make it simple to place on the road.

Long journeys are especially comfortable, even in the electrically-operated third row of seats. Fold these flat and the 130-litre boot expands to useful 566 litres.

Regardless, this a vehicle that would suit a fully laden roof rack.

It may lack the dynamic polish of a Defender, but the Land Cruiser feels about as purposeful as any 4x4 money can buy, evoking a real sense of adventure… Even on a quintessentially English country road.