Car Of The Week - Toyota Land Cruiser

In 1950, the Korean war saw the demand for a light utility vehicle for the military. The US government gave Toyota the task of manufacturing 100 vehicles with Willys Jeep specifications. This gave Japan the Jeep! The demand for military UVs saw the creation of the Toyota “Jeep” BJ prototype in 1951. The BJ40 was the predecessor of the Land Cruiser. The BJ40 was larger and more powerful than the American Jeep. In 1954, Toyota decided to rebrand the BJ40 and changed its official name to the Land Cruiser.

   The second-generation Toyota Land Cruiser introduced in 1957 and was designed to keep the civilian consumer in mind. The design was more flashy, modern and compatible with the urban environment. The second-gen Land Cruiser was internally called the 20 Series by Toyota and had better ride quality courtesy of a longer wheelbase and mechanical improvements adapted from the Toyota Light Truck. The car was powered by a 3.9 L in-line six-cylinder petrol engine producing 133 bhp of max power. The third-generation Toyota Land Cruiser was the J40 introduced in 1960. The J40 is arguably the most iconic Land Cruiser ever built. With an updated steel body design, addition of transfer cases the J40 proved itself to be one of the best off-road vehicles around. The car became the best-selling Toyota in the USA between 1961-65. By 1984, Toyota had sold over 1.1 million units of the Land Cruiser, now that’s some amazing market performance. It should be noted that the Toyota Land Cruiser was and has always been competing with 4X4 behemoths the likes of the Range Rover, Jeep Grand Cherokee and has still managed to stand its ground. The Toyota Land Cruiser model range is made up of two model types – comfort-oriented models, off-road-oriented models. The comfort-oriented range of cars is well known for the high levels of luxury, passenger comfort and safety on offer. The off-road Land Cruiser cars are designed and built for the sole purpose of off-roading – venture into the harshest of terrain and the Land Cruiser will not leave you disappointed! Durability and reliability are at the very heart of what Toyota as a brand stands for. The Land Cruiser is a perfect example of this, Land Cruisers are built to outlast a majority of cars. Finding a Land Cruiser to have been in perfect driving condition even after 25 years of usage is not a difficult task. The Toyota Land Cruiser is often considered necessary equipment and the go-to car for the UN and many other relief organizations, NGOs in the most difficult environments on earth. The beauty of the Land Cruiser lies in the way Toyota has designed and built it. While the Land Cruiser is an extremely capable car, it is designed with a lot of simplicity in mind. A car that is designed with simplicity in mind always goes a long way with regard to reliability and durability. The Toyota Land Cruiser is not only the brand longest-running production car, but it is also one of its highest-sellers with 10 million units sold globally. The current generation Toyota Land Cruiser is the J200 Series. The car comes with all the bells, whistles and tech you could ask for with features such as – Smart Entry, Smart Start, 4-zone climate control with over 28 vents, 10 airbags etc. Following the legacy of its predecessors, the current-gen car is also a very capable off-roader with equipment like – CRAWL (a system which operates like off-road cruise control), Multi-terrain ABS, Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, etc. Engine options on the current Land Cruiser are – a twin-turbo V8 diesel engine, a 4.5 L diesel engine and a 4.7 L petrol engine mated to a 5-speed, or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

  The Toyota Land Cruiser is a legend in itself. The Land Cruiser has been a leading light for all cars with respect to overall reliability, durability, capability, comfort, and value. The Land Cruiser is one of those cars that silenced critics and also made a very large fan base around the world. Who would have thought that a small, medium car manufacturer like Toyota would excel at making one of the best 4X4 SUVs ever? Not only is the Land Cruiser a major success for the consumers, fans who love and adore the car but also for Toyota who has since 1951 been regarded as one of the stalwarts of 4X4 SUVs manufacturers.