Toyota grants hybrid power to the Land Cruiser 300
If you’ve been following Toyota’s full-size body-on-frame SUV offerings, you know the likes of the Land Cruiser 250 (Prado), the Sequoia, and even the Lexus GX 550h and LX 700h dot the lineup with electrified powertrains, with only the Land Cruiser 300 missing out on it.
That was true until today when Toyota UAE suddenly dropped the Land Cruiser 300 Hybrid out of the blue, available either in VXR or GR Sport trims.
The most significant change is the introduction of a new hybrid powertrain first found in the Lexus LX 700h. It mates a 3.5-liter, twin-turbo gasoline V6 (the V35A-FTS) with a 10-speed automatic transmission and a parallel hybrid system. This pushes out a very healthy 457 horsepower and 790Nm of torque, and either a 98L (VXR) or 68L (GR Sport) fuel tank.
Just like its luxury sibling, the LC 300 HEV is also just as strong off-road with a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery that’s cooled for extreme heat, sealed to prevent water ingress, and to maintain its water-wading capabilities. Plus, it comes with a 1500W (220V) AC power supply to power appliances and other electronics.
The VXR comes with adaptive variable suspension and a rear Torsen LSD, while the GR Sport gets the Electronic-Kinetic Dynamic Suspension and front-and-rear locking differentials.
In VXR trim, you’ll be able to tell it apart from a standard LC300 because of the new front bumper, side skirt trim and step boards, and rear bumper. The GR Sport remains mostly unchanged with the sporty bumpers and 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, but both get the new HEV and 457TT badges.
Inside, everything is still pretty much the same as the Land Cruiser’s most recent update, which introduced a larger 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, new software for the 12.3-inch infotainment screen, 14-speaker JBL sound system, dual 11-inch rear seat entertainment, Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, and the available option for a two-tone black/red interior color scheme.
While you can obviously expect gray market importers to bring these in fairly quickly, it’s pretty much a no-brainer that Toyota Motor Philippines will look to introduce this to its lineup very soon as well.
Photos from Toyota UAE
