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Toyota has developed new diesel-engine technology for the Land Cruiser that claims good economy and retains the solid driving features of the previous model.
Toyota upgraded the Land Cruiser at the end of last year with a new generation of diesel engines aiming to deliver better fuel economy. That was the target for the country’s best selling commercial 4x4 and it was the single biggest feature upgrade to the model, which has few other specification changes.
Does the new engine make that much of a difference? For the new Land Cruiser, Toyota wanted to improve the fuel economy figures and reduce the levels of CO2 and NOx gases in the exhaust. That was the test for me and it was especially interesting as we had also selected the Land Cruiser as our Farmer’s 4x4 of the Year last year.
This new Land Cruiser is all about the engine, which Toyota claims is one of the most efficient in its class. Toyota claims that the engine uses thermo swing wall insulation technology to give a more efficient engine combustion that delivers better fuel economy and is cleaner for the environment.
The new engine at 2.8 litres in capacity is smaller than the one that it replaces. The engine power has dropped from 190bhp to 174bhp, while Toyota claims that the engine torque, the muscle behind its trailer pulling power, has risen to 450Nm, a 25% increase from the older engine.
Improving efficiency
The engine has a new Toyota produced turbocharger that is 30% smaller than its predecessor and claims to improve efficiency. It allows maximum torque to be obtained over wide engine rev range.
That extra torque has meant little in terms of towing ability which remains at three tonnes, while the 0 to 100km/hr acceleration has slowed down a little. So what’s the new engine benefit?
It is very much related to economy and emissions and higher torque at low engine revs. Toyota is using AdBlue additive in the engine, along with a more efficient combustion process to achieve better fuel economy.
I took the Land Cruiser across a range of conditions over more than a week of driving. My first impression was that I was missing the extra power, but this did not become an issue and I soon settled into the solid driving comfort.
I took the Land Cruiser across some typical farming driving conditions, from rural roads to motorways, to farm roads including a day on the Slieve Bloom Mountains, as we tested a range of ATVs. After that, I brought it to Galway to collect my vintage John Deere 1020 tractor on a car transporter trailer. All in all, it was a very busy week on and off the road.
The Land Cruiser lived up to my expectations. Off-road in the mountains, it was solid up front, while those in the rear noted the suspension features.
Out on the main roads, its power and torque are obvious, and while the rated acceleration figure is lower than in the past, it powers ahead with a good pace. With the trailer on board it was solid and stable, with ample power to pull the load, never feeling under pressure as the automatic gearbox balanced the engine loading.
For motorway driving, you can set the cruise control for the maximum speed of 120km/hr and find that the Cruiser cruises at a low 1,700rpm on the engine. Be more cautious, as I was with the trailer load behind, and drop the speed to the legal trailer limit of 80km/hr and you will find the Land Cruiser to be at its most economical.
More economical
The new engine was matched to Toyota’s new six-speed automatic gearbox which is easy to get comfortable with. For off-road driving the simple dial switch gives lower gears and there is a push button hill descent control button available too.
The Toyota claim is that this new Land Cruiser is more economical. The official rating figures are 13.5km/litre (7.4l/100km or 38mpg), which is 15% better than the previous model. In practice, I found that difficult to achieve, but then I was driving across a wide range of conditions, including a full trailer load.
My economy figure was closer to 9.6km/l (27mpg) and a lot of that was reflected in the trailer loading and off-road driving. Taking the rated figures into account gave me a three-year ownership cost figure of €0.48/km, which shows just how expensive it is to run a large 4x4 on the farm.
This new Land Cruiser comes with the Toyota Touch 2 system and Toyota Touch 2 with Go multimedia and an easy-to-use navigation system. There is a useful reversing camera included which gives a great view for trailer hitching and reversing. This model also comes with new technology features for handling, safety and driver guidance, including rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitor, trailer stability control, pre-collision system and adaptive cruise control. The new Land Cruiser is available in a number of formats, including short and long wheelbase and the Business version with five seats and the potential to operate with lower €333 commercial road tax. Toyota has used the opportunity of the new engine to increase prices, which are almost €1,000 more for the commercial models and €3,500 more for the long wheelbase Business version. That is a hefty price increase even if you are getting more economy.
The entry price for the Business version is €57,495 or £37,705 in Northern Ireland, including VAT. For business users with a VAT number, the price will be more competitive, but check your tax status as some local authorities are making it difficult to tax these types of seated commercial 4x4s at the low €333 tax rate.
The solid reputation of the Land Cruiser remains with the new-generation, new-engine version. This is a minimum frills 4x4 in terms of driving coupled with some useful technology and improved economy that has not the best rating in terms of towing power at three tonnes, but is still so solid on the road, with or without a load.
Small van group tests
Over the past week, we have conducted a small van group test to establish the performance ability of seven small vans for farm use. We carried out three days of testing and will provide the results of that work at Ploughing 2016. The seven vans tested were the Citroën Berlingo, Fiat Doblo, Ford Transit Connect, Opel Combo, Peugeot Partner, Renault Kangoo and Volkswagen Caddy.
Mercedes-Benz dealership
Connolly Motor Group, with a newly acquired premises at Collooney, Co Sligo, has been appointed a Mercedes-Benz sales and after-sales dealership for the northwest. The 20,000 square foot dealership will be one of the largest Mercedes-Benz sales showroom, parts outlets and after-sales service facilities in Ireland. When fully operational, it will create 20 new full-time jobs.
Outstanding car finance
Statistics published by Cartell.ie indicate that used car buyers have almost a one in three chance (30%) of purchasing a three-year-old vehicle (2013) with finance outstanding. In the case of one-year-old vehicles (2015), the levels of vehicles offered for sale with finance outstanding has risen from 23% for the equivalent period last year to 27% in 2016, representing an increase of 17%.
Volkswagen ‘162’ offers
Volkswagen Ireland has announced details of its ‘‘162’’ campaign, which includes a host of additional features across all Volkswagen retail cars for a cost of only €162. There is good news for Smartphone users with App Connect available on selected models in the Volkswagen range. This allows you to bring your smartphone apps on to the infotainment’s touchscreen.
Ford’s new Transit engines
Ford has announced a new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBlue diesel engine for the latest generation Transit and Transit Custom vans. Ford claims that this new engine will offer improved cost of ownership and performance for customers from mid-2016.
These new Ford Transit and Transit Custom models will arrive in Ireland in July with prices starting from €23,600.
To read the full Machinery Focus, click here.
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