Toyota has unveiled the latest version of its all-terrain terror the Land Cruiser in a major world reveal broadcast from the UAE. Amid an atmosphere of expectation that other manufacturers could only dream of generating for their own heavy-metal offerings, the 2022 Japanese off-road icon, known as the J300, arrived before a planet-wide audience in suitably bombastic style on Wednesday. Ahead of the launch, Toyota teased the arrival with a few darkened shots, as is the way manufacturers do things these days, but it was sufficient to get the both media and public suitably stirred up. But there it suddenly was. Viewers watched as the J300 was unveiled in a video presentation featuring Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with plenty of shots of the newbie tearing over sand and rocks with ease. And the talking heads were keen to emphasise this latest version is the most powerful and advanced Land Cruiser there has ever been. The vision was simple: Toyota set out to create a car that is "easy to drive and does not tire the driver both on-road and off-road". At first glance, the new Land Cruiser has a blocky, solid look. There are distinct differences to the previous model, notably around the light positions and bumper shape, but Toyota has kept the length, width and wheelbase the same as the previous model. The car's frame was redesigned to reduce weight and increase rigidity. In fact, the car is 200kg lighter than its most recent predecessor. It also has a lowered centre of gravity, which should improve handling and, in particular, cornering capabilities. Improvements have been made to the suspension, with the adoption of something Toyota refers to as an E-KDSS. The new model now has a multi-terrain monitor, which instantly displays obstacles as viewed from the driver's viewpoint. Power comes from a twin-turbocharged V6, of course, with 3.5-litre petrol and 3.3-litre diesel versions available. These will produce 410 and 305 horsepower, respectively. The J300 features Toyota's Safety Sense package, with some additional advanced functions. No price has been announced yet, but the Land Cruiser will be available all over the world, not least in the UAE, in the summer. Watch out for <em>The National</em>'s review later in June.
