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TUESDAYApril APRIL 44 2017 2017 Tuesday
Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi achieving an 8l/100km (35mpg) instantaneous figure at 100km/h, the engine barely turning over at just 1800rpm. Drive is sent through a six-speed transmission and it is a beauty in terms of refinement and shift quality. How it harnesses that huge torque flow yet delivers with such sophistication amazes me. The Land Cruiser has ride quality to envy, it floats over bumps and ruts, yet has the rugged essentials so that off-road travel can be completed capably. And that is the secret of Land Cruiser, it is soft and sultry to drive in the everyday environment, yet it is technically superior when it comes to life off-the-beatentrack. I took the evaluation car on a riverbank route which follows the Ashley River, it was perfect for the role with huge grip and drive programs which can be dialled in depending on the surface likely to be encountered. The two main dials are for low and high range, but there is also a crawl control mechanism and multi-terrain select which the inside gets some new kit including a rear regulates wheelspin depending on the type of entertainment system with two ground encountered. The driver can dial up individual screens. The latter kept a nine-yearthe appropriate setting within the choices. old entertained during the time I travelled a The Land Cruiser is complex, there’s no long highway route. denying that, but the result is extraordinary Little has changed under the bonnet. Sitting off-road prowess, it is so capable the driver there is a 4.5-litre, twin-turbocharged diesel can glean confidence from the vehicle, and yet engine. It is rated with mammoth power at the same time each occupant is cocooned outputs of 200kW and 650Nm, power is in a lap of luxury. available all through the rev band, it is strong The test car was the range-topping VX and energetic, taking into account that it does Limited model which sits at $133,490, there is have to haul up to nearly three-tonne. a lower spec model at $121, 900; however, if The Cruiser in this form has a willingness you are serious about off-roading the Limited beneath the throttle that is uncanny, and it would be the best pick with its kinetic does so with a characteristic V8 growl that is dynamic suspension system which improves delightful to listen to. ride quality and performance off-road. It also has reasonable fuel usage statistics. Not only has the Land Cruiser been given Toyota claims a combined cycle average of a makeover, it is still the quintessential family 9.5-litres per 100km (30mpg), which is not wagon with eight seats, perfect for the school that far distant to my 11.1l/100km (25mpg) run or whatever the constraints are during which incorporated a long highway drive, city driving. Interior space and
TOYOTA’S LAND CRUISER 200 By Ross Kiddie
Don’t expect Toyota’s big Land Cruiser 200 to change much in the next few years. The reason being is that the platform on which it is based has already served the test of time in terms of how it has been engineered for purpose. It has also been constantly upgraded to earn the reputation as one of the industry’s best off-road drivelines. The ladder chassis, the four-wheel-drive mechanicals and the big engine all combine to provide a vehicle which is an off-road champion and a station wagon/sport utility vehicle with few competitors. The Land Cruiser 200 has just had another make-over, and I think that is all you can expect from Toyota and Land Cruiser at this stage. The changes Toyota has made to the Land Cruiser go a long way to keep the model fresh without compromising its ability. For 2016 the Land Cruiser gets new frontal treatment – bonnet, grille and bumper – while
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PRICE Toyota Land Cruiser VX, $133,490 DIMENSIONS Length, 4990mm; width, 1980mm; height, 1945mm CONFIGURATION V8, four-wheeldrive, 4661cc, 200kW, 560Nm, sixspeed automatic. PERFORMANCE 0-100km/h, 9sec FUEL USAGE 9.5l/100km
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associated comfort is vast, and it has a high level of safety for all occupants. Convenience features are too numerous to mention but there are the usual high profile items such as satellite navigation, electric driver’s seat, four-zone climate control, sophisticated audio and complex trip computer, the latter displayed through two digital dash panel readouts. At almost 5m the Land Cruiser makes no apologies for its size, but it has ability in a corner which adds to the feeling of control, it sits solidly on the road, while steerage is relatively precise through huge tyres (285/60 x 18in Yokohama Geolander). The Land Cruiser is most certainly an off-road champion, yet it also serves in the every day role. Thousands of buyers new and pre-owned from Japan will attest to that, there are many on our roads, and the facelift model builds heavily on that success.
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