It’s the news that thousands of fans throughout the country have been waiting for: Toyota’s latest Land Cruiser and its Lexus brother, the LX570, have been launched in the UAE.
There’s no getting away from either of these cars here, and as I sat in the press conference held by Al-Futtaim Motors last week to launch the Lexus variant, we were told, unsurprisingly, that the UAE is the world’s biggest market for it.
In most respects, the two models represent nothing but minor improvements rather than wholesale changes, but as I looked at the gaping front of the LX570, I wondered why anyone would find this car attractive. When Arnold Schwarzenegger is faced with the Predator in the film of the same name’s closing scenes, and the alien removes its own headgear for maximum scares in a climactic showdown, its mouth is revealed to be rather unpleasant. The design crew at Lexus obviously thinks otherwise, because the “spindle grille”, as it’s called on the LX570, looks exactly the same, only with fewer teeth.
I admit that I’m in the minority with my views, because when I checked on local motoring websites later on the day of the event, the majority of commenters were saying how beautiful it is. You can make up your own minds from the picture on the right, but you’ll be seeing that snout bearing down on you soon on highways.
As a symbol of conspicuous consumption, this Lexus takes some beating, but the Land Cruiser does enjoy a huge following here for good reason: it’s possibly the ultimate “go anywhere” vehicle, and has been the king of the dunes for decades, establishing its reputation as a reliable and hardy off-roader while Land Rover’s products were still being built as if nobody at the factory cared a hoot. The Toyota will always have an unbreakable bond with drivers in this country, and the Lexus variant, being posher, better equipped – despite being more visually challenging – was always going to be a hit here, too.
While I’m no fan of its exterior styling, the improvements to the LX570’s interior are extremely impressive, and there’s a premium plushness to its cabin design that sets it apart from almost all its rivals – and at least if I’m sitting inside, I won’t have to see the exterior. The quality of materials used and the design is much more luxurious than ever before, at least for the top-level model that was on display at the Jumeirah villa used for the press event. The collective gasp when its price was mentioned was, however, unmistakable. To get yourself into the poshest Land Cruiser of all, the Lexus LX 570 Platinum, you’ll need to drop at least Dh450,000.
Lesser models start at Dh385,000, but it’s testament to the LX570’s popularity here that cars are already being advertised locally for more than their recommended retail price, their owners realising they can make a quick killing by offering them before even Lexus has them in the showrooms. One I saw online this week was being advertised for Dh625,000 (which is ridiculous, whichever way you cut it), and I expect someone will quickly snap it up to ensure they’re the first on the road driving the country’s favourite SUV.
What it’s like to drive, I cannot tell you, but I’ll be getting one for a few days soon to try it properly. And while either the Land Cruiser or its Lexus equivalent will never be cars I’d spend my own money on, I’m determined to find out just why everyone else loves them so much.
motoring@thenational.ae
