Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Premium - CAR REVIEW

It’s very common to see luxury cars in posh hotels, shopping malls, and villages around the country. Go to any of those and it won’t be hard to spot a BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Audi, or any other luxury car brand. There is one specific vehicle though that is also very common in these places, it’s not from a luxury brand. It’s the Toyota Land Cruiser. For decades, the Toyota Land Cruiser has been the top choices for the country’s elite. This includes rich businessmen, politicians, and other VIPs. Not only does it offer luxury and comfort, it can also literally go anywhere. Its high price and premium looks also make it a status symbol.

So for this review, we’ll be checking out the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 in its full-option Premium variant. This generation has been available in the Philippines since 2007. It has received two exterior updates, the currently available one being the most major, and one major interior update. With the model’s age already at 13 years old and a replacement being worked on, is it still the true king of all SUVs in the market and is it still worthy of its asking price tag and status? Let’s find out.

Exterior

While the Land Cruiser 200’s overall exterior shape and profile remain the same as the model that was first launched in 2007, it still gives off a tough, modern and muscular look. The current model came out in 2016. It really shows what an SUV should really look like. No special curvy swoopy lines here, it’s all edgy and rugged.

In front, there is a set of Bi-projector LED headlights complete with LED daytime running lights. There is also a set of LED fog lights on the bumper. The huge three-bar grille also gives this SUV its very authoritarian look, like as if it were asking you to give way. Exclusive to this Premium variant is the front overrider on the bumper, giving it a more off-road ready look.

On the side, this is where it really looks very much unchanged from 2007. It’s clean and simple, looking even like other SUVs from the late 90’s. The side decals are a Land Cruiser signature and are only available on this Premium variant. Even my family’s old 90-series Land Cruiser Prado have these decals and it is a styling signature that I really like. The vehicle rides on 18-inch alloy wheels which actually look a bit small but that’s okay since the thicker tires also show a more rugged appearance.

At the back, it’s very simple as well. There are large LED combination taillights and a nice rear spoiler. Rear fog lights are also standard. On the bumper you’ll see a towing hitch which won’t really be useful due to the way Land Cruisers are used in the country, but hey they actually do well for this SUV as many people end up hitting it, reducing damage to the rear bumper. Bad for the car hitting it though. Oops.

Interior

Once you get inside the Land Cruiser, it really shows its premium-ness, just like the variant’s name. The dashboard also received a major update in 2016 which is what we’re seeing. Despite being not so old but looking a bit dated, it still looks very good and matches well this SUV’s off-roader image. And despite looking more simple than luxurious, it again looks and feels very premium thanks to soft-touch materials on most of the dashboard and faux wood accents which actually look good instead of tacky.

The rest of the interior such as the door panels also get soft-touch materials and the wood accents. Everything here feels well-built, typical of Toyota vehicles. A power sunroof is also standard on this Premium variant and despite it being an older style normal sized sunroof, it does still help a lot of light in.

The seats are wrapped in very premium feeling leather and are very comfortable. The front seats are heated and ventilated while the 2nd row is heated.

What makes this interior feel a bit lacking and dated is the switchgear which appears to be from the early 2000’s. Some are even shared with the first generation Toyota Fortuner and older Land Cruisers. Some interior bits as well such as the selector knobs for the 4WD system feel quite cheap.

Storage

As the Land Cruiser is a full-size SUV, it is not surprising to see lots of storage space in the trunk. Opening the split tailgate is not that difficult but at its price point should at least be powered. Even with the third row of seats in place, two medium-sized pieces of luggage can fit well. With the seats folded up, there would be enough space to carry everything you need. In our case, we had some giant mangoes from our tree. The lower portion of the tailgate which opens down instead of up can also be used as a place to sit when outdoors. There is also some additional storage here which can be opened upon the twist of a lock. A quirk of the Land Cruiser is the center cool box, this can be found underneath the center armrest. Quite useful for keeping drinks cool on long road trips.

The main downside here in this part of the Land Cruiser is the side-folding third row which eats up a bit of storage space. Hopefully this is finally rectified in the next generation 300-series Land Cruiser. Thankfully, folding up the third row is a lot easier than on the Innova and Fortuner which have similar mechanisms.

Technology and Safety

This Land Cruiser, despite being the top-spec Premium variant remains lacking in terms of technology features. First is the infotainment system. It only gets the same 6.75-inch touchscreen head unit found in the Innova, Fortuner, Hilux and FJ Cruiser, and only comes with CD, DVD, Bluetooth, AUX, and USB functionalities. Thankfully it is responsive but at the vehicle’s price point should at least have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a reverse camera as standard, especially considering this is no small vehicle. Smaller and cheaper vehicles such as the MG 5 compact sedan even gets a 360-degree camera.

The local-spec Land Cruiser also lacks adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring. It does have some off-roading tech such as Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control which is like cruise control for off-roading. Other missing features are the power tailgate as mentioned earlier.

Despite it lacking in tech, safety features are still aplenty in the Land Cruiser. In addition to front and side curtain airbags, there is also a driver’s knee airbag which is very common in new Toyota vehicles. It also gets the usual anti-lock braking system with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution, hill-start assist, hill-descent control, and three-point seatbelts for all passengers.

Engine

This is where Toyota definitely beat the Land Cruiser’s main rival, the Nissan Patrol Royale. Why? Because many Filipinos, no matter what explanation you give on why they should get a gasoline-powered car will still choose the diesel-powered one simply because of its reputation for fuel economy and cheaper prices at the gas station. Under the hood, all Land Cruiser 200’s in the Philippines are powered by a 4.5-liter V8 twin turbo diesel engine, perfect for the Filipino SUV buyer. It has a maximum output of 232 hp and 615 Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission. As it is a Land Cruiser, power is obviously sent to all four wheels.

Driving and Comfort

The 232 horsepower maximum output definitely sounds small on paper. The 615 Newton-meters of torque does definitely make up a bit for the lack of power. While you do feel the weight of this large SUV, it actually does get moving pretty well. I’ve driven this Land Cruiser on all types of roads it will probably face, from tight city streets, unpaved provincial roads, expressways, and steep and curvy mountain roads. I only really felt its lack of power driving in heavy Baguio City uphill traffic. Another thing I love about the powertrain is the sound it makes. The start-up hiccup is my favorite and it also makes a really nice V8 growl when accelerating. Steering is okay. It is heavy compared to other vehicles such as its arch-rival the Nissan Patrol, but it isn’t bad. Road noise is non-existent with only a little bit of growl from the engine finding its way into the cabin during acceleration.

Comfort-wise, the Land Cruiser is as expected very comfortable whether you’re seated in front or in the back.. The seats while not as supportive as those in newer models still do their job very well. The suspension also absorbs bumps very well and the ride is very smooth. The thick tires probably also have a large contribution to the smoothness.

Being such a heavy SUV with a rather unappealing power output, the Land Cruiser, despite having a turbodiesel powertrain has given us a maximum of 6 km/l in the city and an adequate 10 km/l on the highway with cruise control set at 110 kph. This actually proves wrong those who complain about the Nissan Patrol Royale’s lack of a diesel powertrain option because it also offers very similar fuel economy figures. Anyway, if you can afford such expensive vehicles, why would you even bother right?

Conclusion

Despite the Land Cruiser 200 basically being 13 years old as a whole (4 years old for this updated model), it definitely still deserves a king of the road title. It is quite unfortunate that we have to pay such a high price of Pho 4,950,000 for something that lacks many features found in cars that sell for a fourth of that price tag, probably the reason why gray market versions imported from the Middle East and United States are very popular for those who can afford them.

Nevertheless, it still makes up with its capability, premium comfort, and it being a status symbol letting others know that you have the better things in life. Oh and it’s a Land Cruiser, so it’ll last forever!