Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series gains more features

By Matt Brogan | September 02nd, 2009

Toyota is now offering as standard a 45-litre sub tank (in addition to the 93-litre main tank) on all 200 Series LandCruiser models.

Other improvements see LandCruiser pick up a rear-view camera, “crawl” technology for negotiating tough off-road situations, audio controls on the steering wheel, a 12-Volt rear accessory socket, 3.5mm audio input jack and a USB port allowing full iPod control and auxiliary input.

Toyota Australia’s senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner said the latest changes were in response to customer demand.

“Most LandCruiser owners already appreciate the long-distance cruising made possible by the 138-litre capacity of the two fuel tanks,” said Toyota Australia’s senior executive director sales and marketing, Mr David Buttner.

“The only two grades that previously did not offer the sub-tank as standard fitment were the highly specified VX and Sahara twin-turbo diesel. We are now offering customers greater flexibility. Buyers of those two grades can specify the sub-tank and have seven seats; alternatively, there is still an eight-seat option.”

All other variants (entry-level GXL petrol and diesel, and mid-range VX and luxury Sahara petrol) retain eight seats as well as the sub-tank. A moonroof is now standard on all VX and Sahara variants.

In addition, Toyota has added its breakthrough “crawl” control feature to all three diesel grades. “Crawl” is a feet-off control system designed to assist the driver navigate over rugged rocky terrain, moguls, rubble, snow, mud, gravel and sand.

It operates in low-range and has now been engineered for the 4.5-litre LandCruiser twin-turbo diesel engine, replacing Downhill Assist Control. It remains a standard feature on 4.7-litre petrol models.

VX and Sahara grades have also been improved with five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels (previously 17-inch) and 285/60 Dunlop tyres and dark grey (instead of green) privacy glass.

Petrol and seven-seat diesel Sahara variants have a DVD rear-seat entertainment system with three wireless headphones plus the option of playing through the audio system.

Sahara also has an upgraded navigation touch screen and a new Graphical User Interface.

Entry-level LandCruiser 200 Series GXL (petrol and diesel) has a new driver’s seat with mechanical height and power lumbar adjustments.

The rear-view camera added to GXL and VX grades comes with a 4.3-inch display. GXL also gains front seat-back map pockets.

The Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) continues as standard on all grades except diesel GXL where it is an option.

LandCruiser 200 Series is offered with the choice of two V8 engines – a 195kW, 650Nm twin turbo-diesel with six-speed automatic transmission or a 202kW, 410Nm 4.7-litre petrol with five-speed auto.

Price rises for the upgrades have been kept to a minimum – less than one per cent for GXL and VX grades and around two per cent for Sahara.

For a full review of the current 200 Series LandCruiser, click here.

Alex

I don’t know why anybody would buy one of these over a Discovery 4.

Skybreak

Well the Disco 4 isn’t on sale yet, but yeah when the D4 arrives in a few months and when the all new Patrol arrives after that there will be some very good alternatives.
Alex

Well I guess its the comfort in knowing that you will be able to go on that “Off Road Trip” that you have been planning for so long, rather than having to put it off as your new Disco is in the workshop with warranty issues again.

Tomas79

Discovery isnt at home in the bush as well as the landcruiser…. What kind of offroad tyres can you fit on 20″ wheels?

Morgs

Toyota Reliability, Durability and access to dealers all over Australia literally everywhere. If i was goin to do 500,000kms of desert driving, off roading etc etc Toyota would be my pick. Even if i wasnt going to do off roading Toyotas last forever, not that we keep our Cruisers for all that long IO trust them more than anything else. We live in the country. D$ is a city 4WD regardless of its off road prowess. The Landcruiser has just as much if not more prowess on and off road.

Škoda Freak

CA says:

“Toyota Australia’s senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner said the latest changes were in response to customer demand.”

So Toyota Australia, you finally decided to listen to your customers? Too late, you’ve already burnt their fingers I’m afraid, most have sold their early 200 series’ and gone and bought Touaregs, Q7s, etc. etc.

Does this mean the Sahara TD will now be over $120K to buy? Still no xenons and rain sensing wipers? Pftttttt……

S

Then why does the LC200 still out sell the 2 models you refer to by a considerable margin?

Wheelnut®™

MARKETING!

Alex

Hmmm, Cant remember seeing many Touregs, Q7s, etc. etc……
Do they Go OFF ROAD?

Feducia

Shouldn’t they also address the pitiful cargo weight allowance. 625kg on the Sahara TD before you fill the tank…..?!?! Not very impressive for a car this size.

Reckless1

Now that they all have the sub-tank, the weight capacity has reduced by approximately 65kg as well, so now is a paltry 560kg. Let’s say you have a family of 4 fatties, not uncommon these days, you could chew up 400kg of your 560 just with passengers. You then couldn’t carry enough food to feed them………

Feducia

Worse than I thought!! And when people install a bull bar (up to 100kg) it is even worse. As for food, maybe they could squeeze in a packet of chips………;)

Morgs

That doesnt matter you just put more in anyway. Who is able to stay within the limits anyway. We exceed ours all the time when we go on holidays with a family of six.

Mitch

Wonder if they’ve fixed the dust issue.
Carfanatic

Justin is right, no one is abandoning their 200 series for a Toureg or Q7 ( and I’m a big fan of both those cars). The 200 series is the best car in it’s class hence why people buy them. As for Alex, Disco’s are only good for one thing! Making the former car rental company I worked for even more money through courtesy car rentals. Well done Land Rover for keeping me in a job, shame I couldn’t supply to Toyota as many of them just don’t break down.

S

Good post, who’s Justin?
Alex

Carfanatic, the 200 Series is hardly best in class. People buy them because the LC badge holds a history of tough off roaders that have frankly become a bit soft in recent years. The 200 Series is quite flawed for what it is (the dust problem for instance). Some people are even having reliability problems with them!
Also, it’s quite unfair to assume that a car that’s only just come on the market (Discovery 4) will be unreliable. It has new engines, new electrics and what has been called the best interior in class. Right now, there’s just no reason to think you’d have problems with a new Land Rover Discovery. After all, LR went from having the very unreliable Discovery 2 to having the very reliable Discovery 3, though some early build models did have problems, they were ironed out. They made a massive step in reliability between those models so if they do it again with the Discovery 4 then they’re on their way to having a completely reliable car that is also best in class in many of the ways it works (quality, engine, off road, on road, etc.)

Besides, if the Land Cruiser is best in class then why has the Discovery won so many more awards?

And for the record, I have tons of experience with both new and old Land Rovers.

Morgs

The D4 and LC200 are actually in different classes. When you think about it the LC200 is the BIGGEST car you can buy in Australia. D4 is not… When the new patrol comes then it will be the biggest. The LC200 and Disco are in different classes regardless of what professionals say. The LC is huge. the D4 is big…ish. When all the seats are down in the LC you can fit all of the luggage. My uncle has a D4, he has to take trailer everywhere for his family. We in the other hand do not.

Simon

why would anyone want the petrol V8?

Kat

agreed….we have a petrol V8 100 series, it’s a pig!! But I do have to say it’s the best off-road vehicle we’ve ever had!

Bor’ka

Alex,” LC…frankly become a bit soft in recent years”.

Where are you getting this from?

Alex,”I have tons of experience with both new and old Land Rovers”

If you never onwed anyting but a Land Rover doesn’t mean other cars are not equally as good or even better.

Landcruiser has a reputation for a reason but having owned the LC100 I can tell you this car is excellent at what i’ts built for, and that is off-roading.

It does not win as many awards as the Discovery because its not as good on road where these cars are driven 90% of the time. However, if you want to do serious 4WDing the Landcruiser beats the Discovery hands down, most people however don’t, going onto a gravel road is as far as they venture.

Alex

Actually I have had Land Cruisers as well as Land Rovers and they weren’t as good. I had a 100 Series and it got stuck twice and was towed out by one of my father’s old Defenders so I sold it.

Many of the awards the Discovery has won have been for off roading. It didn’t win them all because it’s so easy in town and on the way to school. So actually, the Land Cruiser doesn’t necessarily win hands down off road. The Discovery is immensely capable off road and in many ways, far better than the LC. Mix that with equally good on road credentials and the brilliant engines that Toyota simply can’t compete with and you’ve got a car that is better in almost every way.
kyle

there is no chance of landcruiser beating discovery.bcoz after da king of offroad and suvs(the range rover)da next best is discover4.nothing can beat da discovery 4 except a range rover.

king of the road

The landcruiser station wagon is the best 4wd vehicle available in australia! I come from central queensland and that is all there is in the real country, people trading 200 series and 100 for touaregs and discoverys “what a load of rubbish” and ALEX you need a driving lesson, if you got stuck in a 100 series pal you have to be australia’s worst driver! ask any rental company what there main heavy duty off road rental is and they will all tell you landcruiser hands down! The 200 series beats anything on the market hands down, end of story!!and we wont even talk about resale value!

Alex

Correction; the UK’s worst driver

And I’m not really, because I managed to finish the work I was doing with the Defender which is also far harder to drive afterwards. The LC just got stuck in a big lake of mud which I couldn’t believe.
And the fact that rental companies rent out more Land Cruisers for that purpose than any other brand only goes to prove that nobody will give Land Rovers a chance despite them being superior. I have noticed in Australia that most people (especially Land Cruiser owners) are fiercely biased against anything with a Land Rover badge. But hey, I won’t bother arguing – I’m not the one missing out.

trackdaze

So is the subtank for Petrol or Oil? Was the space created by taking the unused 6th gear out of the gearbox?

Škoda Freak

LOL… so true trackdaze!

Gilly

I wonder if Toyota has fixed the common fault of the chassis cracking with the weight of the bull bar on the 200 series?
The are the masters of keeping inherent problems of their vehicles quiet without resorting to mass recalls. I guess it aids their future marketing and reputation.
Ask any owner about their 02-06 Rav 4…………..almost all have a ecu fault that cooks the auto transmission, usually around or just after the 100 000km mark. A cost of $8000 to the owner!
This should have been a mass recall as well.
Dave

We have unloaded a GU patrol, which we thought was a great car, but it was a dog compared to the 200. Yes, the 200 has had an issue with the tailshaft, repaired by Toyota, but it is a terrific car. Simon, the reason for bying a petrol is that the diesel is EXPENSIVE in the extreme. At the time we bought ours, there was a $17000 difference. I can by a lot of petrol for that.