2011 Toyota Land Cruiser

This SUV has grown massively over its 60 years in production, but its roots are still off the tarmac.

December 15, 2010 - Abu Dhabi, UAE -  Toyota Land Cruiser has released a special edition 60th anniversary SUV.  The Land Cruiser  features an entry-level 4.7-litre petrol V8 version.  For Motoring car review.  (Andrew Henderson/The National)
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With a 60-year history, a presence in the UAE for 55 years and awesome off-roading abilities, it is no real surprise that the Toyota Land Cruiser has become a status symbol here. But becoming a status symbol is both a blessing and a curse. It is certainly a blessing for Toyota's bottom line - if you stand on any UAE street corner it will probably be a matter of moments before you spot a Land Cruiser passing by. But it is a curse in that it's rise in popularity has seen it become a car more commonly spotted on street corners and highways instead of in its natural habitat off road.

I picked up the lovely, luxurious 60th Anniversary special edition of the 2011 Land Cruiser for my test drive. In gold. Naturally.

Driving the car in traffic makes you acutely aware of just what a large car this is - at a hefty 3,300kg with a 5.7L V8 engine on the VXR-i version, this is not a car to be trifled with. As soon as you hit the brakes for the first time, anyone with an ounce of common sense should realise this is not a car that is meant to be driven at excessive speeds, especially if you tend to slam on the brakes with jackboots rather than ballet slippers. Tragically, this seems to be the preferred method of dealing with speed cameras on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway. If only drivers here actually realised there is more than one way to slow a car down - how about easing off the gas a little and using the gears to engine-brake? You'll save a lot of wear from your brake pads and make the most of the sequential manual option on the gearbox, which is, by the way, excellent on the Land Cruiser, a sterling six-speeder.

But as I made my way back to Abu Dhabi from Dubai, I was left behind by fellow Land Cruiser drivers who were easily travelling at speeds in excess of 170kph with the obligatory brake slam at the cameras. Yes, the car has the power to do this, but it does not have the build to do this safely and you will get a sense of body roll and quite a bit of noise, too.

While there is more than 3,000kg of top heaviness, the excellent engine certainly has the power to move the Land Cruiser at high speeds. But it's a bit like being able to pick your nose with your big toe - just because you can, it doesn't mean you should.

And because this one is the 60th- anniversary edition, there were plenty of extra features that will surely win over customers in the UAE. The diamond-stitched quilted leather seats had a touch of Bentley about them and the heat-reducing power shades were very effective in keeping the car cool and offering the privacy that many motorists value in the UAE, without limiting visibility as happens with an illegally dark but seldom policed window tint. It also comes with a pretty good reversing camera, although they should have shared the camera with the ones you see on Lexuses, which show you your reversing lines so you get a really good idea of how far you can back up before you hit something.

Other UAE-friendly extras include the ubiquitous DVD players for the monosyllabic kids, wireless headphones and 60th Anniversary emblems on the dashboard, the entry plate and on the key case.

Fine, that's great, but if you buy one of these bad boys, I beg and implore you to drive it like a civilised human being on the tarmac, and to make a point of taking it off road regularly.

For while it is big and sometimes cumbersome in traffic, as soon as you take it off road it is a completely different car. I took it off the tarmac and on to a mix of rocks, gravel, hard sand and soft sand. As soon as there is something more rugged than asphalt under the wheels, the Land Cruiser seems to perk up and you can almost hear the heavy duty but flexible suspension say: "Thank goodness you're finally challenging me."

Once low range is selected, the diffs are locked and you're playing with the sequential manual gears, it is impossible not to drive with a smile on your face. The excellent clearance is high enough for a small family to live underneath, the suspension is sturdy but at the same time, you feel a real connection with the terrain. When you get some air, the landing is surefooted.

This is where the joy is to be had in owning a Land Cruiser. Once you're careening along a rough track, bouncing over sand or experiencing how it makes short work of rocks, you won't give a hoot about the leather seats, the DVD player or the power shades.

It is only then that you will have made a true connection with generations of Land Cruiser owners before you who took the cars out in the UAE before the eight-lane highways and used them to really get to know the country.

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh205,000 / Dh296,000

Engine 5.7L V8

Gearbox six-speed automatic

Power 362hp @ 5,500 rpm

Torque 530Nm @ 3,200 rpm

Fuel economy, combined 15.7L/100km