Toyota Land Cruiser 2021: the Japanese 4x4, now more off-road capable than ever

Last summer, Toyota began selling the all-new Land Cruiser 2021, which is now continuing to evolve and receiving upgrades while awaiting its successor. This time, the changes are aimed at further improving the Land Cruiser’s performance when it comes to leaving the tarmac, where this Japanese 4×4 is already a benchmark.

To this end, the VX and VLX trims incorporate a mechanical rear differential lock on the 5-door body versions with automatic gearbox. On the VLX, this change means the disappearance of the Torsen limited-slip differential, which is retained on the Land Cruiser Limited, geared more towards road use.

With the new mechanical rear differential lock, the Toyota Land Cruiser can keep moving forward when conditions get tough in off-road driving, even if one of the rear wheels loses contact with the ground. To do so, it splits torque between these wheels in a 50/50 ratio.

Rear differential lock and new multimedia system

Other equipment updates arriving across the range affect the design of the wheels and tyres on the GX and NX trims for the 3-door body. Steel wheels are now replaced by alloy wheels, keeping the 17-inch diameter but with 265/65 tyres instead of 245/70. Additionally, the 5-door Land Cruiser GX gains the Touch 2 multimedia system from Toyota, compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which allows wireless map downloads and updates.

There are no changes to the engine, which remains the revised 2.8D 4-cylinder, uprated to 204 CV following the latest update.

Except for the entry-level NX variants in commercial version, which have a recommended retail price of €42,900 with no possibility of discount, the rest of the range benefits from a €3,000 discount off the list price. Thus, the Land Cruiser GX 3-door starts from €41,200, while the VX costs €44,500 with manual gearbox and €47,400 with automatic gearbox. The 5-door starts at €43,300 for the GX trim, €48,500 for the VX (€3,200 more with automatic gearbox) and €73,600 for the Limited.

With Toyota Easy, you can get a 3-door Land Cruiser from €487 per month.

Image gallery Toyota Land Cruiser 2021