The long-awaited Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series range has finally had its full specification revealed for Australia, and while it offers a big step up over the outgoing model in equipment, technology and safety, the price has also jumped.
Kicking off the range at $89,990 (before on-road costs) for the rough-and-tumble GX, the Land Cruiser 300 large SUV has risen by an average of $7193 across the existing four grades – GX, GXL, VX and Sahara
The new LandCruiser 300 Series looks to be a big improvement but prices have gone up by over $10,000 on some grades
Joining the 300 Series line-up are the range-topping Sahara ZX and GR Sport grades, with the former focusing intently on being a luxurious on-road vehicle and the latter a no-holds-barred attempt at creating the ultimate bush-bashing Land Cruiser 300.
Toyota is offering five- and seven-seat versions the former in GX, Sahara ZX and GR Sport grades, with the three-row alternative inGXL, VX and Sahara.
The Land Cruiser 300’s key competitors include the long-standing Nissan Patrol large SUV but also full-sized dual cabs such as the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado full-sized utes as well as BMW X7, Mercedes-Benz GLS and Volkswagen Touareg.
We’ve written a separate article explaining just what makes the Land Cruiser an icon and what all these off-road bits actually do.
Gone is the old turbodiesel V8, with a new twin-turbo V6 diesel in its place
What does each grade of the Land Cruiser 300 Series include?
Toyota has thrust the Land Cruiser 300 well into the modern age with a host of improvements over the outgoing 200 Series.
Kicking off the 300 Series range is the five-seat Land Cruiser GX, which starts at $89,990 (before on-road costs) and is equipped as standard with a low-range transfer case, a lockable centre differential and a choice of three drive modes to suit different terrain.
The 300’s new 227kW/700Nm 3.3-litre twin-turbo-diesel V6 engine has lowered the combined fuel consumption number to 8.9L/100km, which means that its 110-litre fuel tank should give the GX a range of well over 1000km in varied driving.
The entry-level LandCruiser GX is fitted with a snorkel as standard
Other GX inclusions areLED headlights with daytime running lights, LED tail-lights, 17-inch steel wheels (as well as a full-size steel spare), a one-piece rear tailgate and a snorkel as standard.
Inside, GX buyers will find keyless entry/start, fabric seats, weather-proof vinyl flooring with rubber floor mats in the front and rear, dual-zone climate control, one-touch power windows, six cupholders and an electric park brake.
A 9.0-inch touchscreen manages the entertainment and finally brings Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to Land Cruiser. Other features include a six-speaker sound system, DAB+ digital radio, voice recognition, a 4.2-inch display between the analogue instrument gauges and both USB-A and USB-C ports in the front.
Safety has taken a huge step up with the GX’sextensive list of active-safety feature highlights including:
- AEB with the ability to detect pedestrians day and night and daytime cyclist detection
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane departure warning
- 10 airbags
- Two Isofix points in the rear
- Trailer sway control
- Reversing camera
The Land Cruiser GXL grades and above switch to alloy wheels
The Land Cruiser GXL is the entry point for seven-seat buyers and is more than a $10,000 jump over the base model at $101,790 before on-road costs.
For the extra dough, Toyota includes a multi-terrain select function to make the Land Cruiser 300 more adaptable off-road and 18-inch alloy wheels with 20mm-wider tyres, measuring 265mm front and rear.
Other additions include aluminium side steps, roof rails, LED front foglights and more painted finishings on the lower door trims. Buyers also receive rear privacy glass, however they also lose the air snorkel found on the base model.
The Land Cruiser VX and above are fitted with a huge 12.3-inch touchscreen
The GXL’s interior aims to make things a bit plusher with carpeted flooring instead of vinyl, and LED interior lighting. The USB count also jumps dramatically with one USB-A port in the front and five USB-C ports dotted throughout the three rows.
A wireless phone charger is also included, as is rear climate-control and niceties such as auto-tilting and heated exterior mirrors, variable intermittent wipers and door courtesy lamps.
The Land Cruiser VX is priced at $113,990 before on-road costs, and brings auto-levelling bi-LED headlights with in-built washers, a premium grille and side steps, LED rear indicators, puddle lamps and chrome window mouldings.
Inside, the VX gets a synthetic leather material for the seats and doors, and faux woodgrain around the interior. The gear knob is, however, real leather and is fitted alongside a more upmarket centre interior panel and doors handles to make the Land Cruiser VX – traditionally the most popular variant – a more pleasant place to spend time..
The Land Cruiser range has now expanded to seven grades
It also gets heated and cooled, eight-way power-adjustable seats in the front row with lumbar adjustment for the driver, four-zone climate control, a power-adjustable steering column, automatic wipers, a rear centre armrest, 40/20/40-split second-row seats, and a sunroof.
Other niceties include a 12.3-inch touchscreen (with a CD and DVD player built-in), 10-speaker Pioneer sound system and a larger 7.0-inch instrument-pack display.
Safety also gets a boost with the addition of a lane-tracing function, emergency steering assist, low-speed rear AEB and a 360-degree camera built with off road-functionally in mind.
The Land Cruiser Sahara is a near $20,000 jump over the VX at $131,190 before on-road costs, with the same seven-seat layout.
A larger 7.0-inch digital screen sits in front of the driver on the VX grades and above
Toyota has primarily focused on upgrading the interior with the Sahara but it will be easier to spot on the road too, with more chrome on the mirrors and door handles and sequential indicators all-round.
The Sahara is the first Land Cruiser grade to get leather-accented seats, with heated and ventilated seats for those sitting on the outboard second row positions. A three-position memory function is added for the driver’s seat and a cooled centre console box is added between the front seats.
The driver also gains a head-up display along with a 14-speaker JBL sound system, dual entertainment screens in the second row and power assistance to open the rear tailgate, and raise or lower the third row.
The Land Cruiser retains its ability to pull huge loads with ease
The Sahara ZX builds on this equipment list (though switches to a five-seat layout), with the price rising to $138,790 before on-road costs.
While style and luxury is a big focus on this grade, the Land Cruiser 300 Sahara ZX also steps up dynamic capability with a rear Torsen limited-slip differential, adaptive variable suspension, and five drive models to tackle more environments.
The Sahara ZX is easy to distinguish with its 20-inch alloy wheels and a unique front and rear bumper, side steps and wheel arch designs.
Toyota also adds a new ‘Advanced Carbon’ steering wheel, centre console, door trims, and a kick-sensor for the Sahara ZX’s power tailgate.
The range-topping Sahara ZX features unique styling
The coolest-looking of the bunch is the five-seat Land Cruiser GR Sport, which builds on the Sahara grade and is focused on the off-road enthusiast, with a substantial price of $137,790 before on-road costs.
Toyota has fitted its new e-KDSS adaptive anti-roll bar system which is said to make the LC300 remarkably more capable than the old model, giving it better driving dynamics on-road and increased wheel articulation off-road.
Front, centre and rear differentials are all lockable, and Toyota’s adaptive variable suspension system is included, with the drive mode count also boosted to five.
Like the Sahara ZX, the GR Sport features unique body work including a front and rear lower bumper design with black wheelarch mouldings.
The Land Cruiser GR Sport adds the new e-KDSS system which is said to be significantly more capable than the old version
A gloss black mesh grille is fitted up front with 18-inch alloy wheels allowing Toyota to fit chunkier Dunlop tyres. All chrome finishings are replaced with black finishings for a more serious look.
Inside, Toyota has fitted a unique ‘Advanced Carbon’ steering wheel, centre console and door trims, with a range of ‘GR Sport’ logos dotted around the cabin and sown into the headrests.
If you’re interested in buying a new Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series, you will need to understand the complicated situation surrounding this 4WD’s current availability. We’ve written separate articles about when you’ll finally be able to get your hands on one.
Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series 2022: prices in Australia
All prices listed are before on-road costs.
- GX: $89,990 (up $9117)
- GXL: $101,790 (up $9217)
- VX: $113,990 (up $10,717)
- Sahara: $131,190 (up $6917)
- GR Sport: $137,790 (new)
- Sahara ZX: $138,790 (new)