New Toyota Land Cruiser Launched in the UK

Unusually for a Toyota Land Cruiser, a model that has always seemed unconcerned with its looks, the very latest version was met with near-universal acclaim when it was unveiled last year. The reception confirmed Toyota’s decision to change course on the design front – no doubt influenced by its rivals, most notably the Land Rover Defender – and build something that pays tribute to its good old past while feeling modern and progressive. In fact, the newcomer has done its job so well that Toyota UK expects customer demand to make up the initial vehicle allocation immediately.

Given that pricing for the UK model has only just been announced, and it’s already been confirmed that it won’t be available until July (ahead of September deliveries), this probably points to a recent surge in popularity – even given the inevitable development from Toyota considers disclaimer regarding the procurement of a “strictly limited supply”. In any case, early buyers have the choice between the Invincible and First Edition trim levels. The latter, which as the name suggests was always limited to sales in 2024, looks better and costs from £79,995. It’s probably safe to assume that these are all gone.

The Invincible, which starts at £74,995, is therefore the backbone of the range and apart from missing out on the much cooler round headlights and bi-tone paint (amongst a few other nifty design details), it is mechanically identical to the First edition. That means you get a 2.8-liter turbodiesel with an eight-speed automatic (a mild hybrid is available next year) on the new GA-F platform, which uses the traditional body-on-frame construction for all-round Maintains stability (although also with improved handling). Both have seven black leather-trimmed seats and generous basic equipment, including a 12.3-inch touchscreen, head-up display, 14-speaker JBL stereo, sunroof, etc.; The Invincible gets 20-inch wheels, the First Edition gets 18-inch wheels (I told you it was cooler).

While the asking price is inevitably expensive, it’s unlikely to stop anyone from being won over by the looks (and already shopping in the premium seven-seat SUV segment). The multi-seater Land Rover Defender 130 starts at £73,970 and is arguably the only comparable competitor based on off-road capability. As a reminder, the similarly sized BMW X7 starts at £88,145 and the Volvo XC90 at £59,878 – but they are very different cars. With its reputation for supreme reliability and all-round ease of use (not to mention the ability to be less of an ego trip compared to some rivals), the latest Land Cruiser has a good chance of becoming the most popular version ever launched became country. Assuming Toyota keeps up with demand.