When you hit 70 years, most things that haven’t fallen off or out may be about to, but that is really the turning point in the case of the Toyota Land Cruiser.
From prototypes developed before and after World War Two, the model that became the Land Cruiser was commissioned by the Japanese Government in 1951.
Ever since it has become a story of global success with an unrivalled reputation for ability and long life in the harshest conditions on earth.
There have been 14 model lines in that time and it’s the company’s longest running product. Of course, it doesn’t end just because the Land Cruiser has passed 74 years, and the latest series brings some new features into owners’ hands.
While retaining a familiar body on frame design, it is a new platform which utilises coil springs for easy repair in the field, jungle or desert, but the MY25 Land Cruiser is fitted with a disconnecting anti-roll to maximise articulation over the roughest terrain, and it’s the first model to get electric power steering for ease of use and reduced kick-back.
The familiar 2.8 TD four-cylinder engine has been remapped to sharpen responses and smoothness and it gets an eight-speed box. In 2026 there will be a 48v mild-hybrid model added to the range as well, as the Land Cruiser story keeps going.
The MY25 series was a sell out in its tempting First Edition version with distinctive retro round headlights harking back to the original models of yesteryear, but our Invincible MY25.2, to use modern tech speak, had all the updates behind a pair of rectangular headlights.
The solid, unburstable four-cylinder 202bhp 2.8 litre engine was a real workhorse but of course with that much power and a kerbweight in excess of 2.5 tonnes it had to work hard and this was reflected in its fuel consumption and noise, particularly at high revs..
Performance was good but not stunning in a straight line and it could pull well through the intermediate gears, settling into a steady and more muted cruising ability on motorways.
The electric steering assistance has refined the dynamic quality of the handling while retaining good feedback and giving it a reasonable turning circle.
Underfoot, the brakes were very strong even with light pedal pressure and the parking brake securely held the big permanent 4WD car on a few slopes, aided by a ‘Hold’ button, particularly useful in traffic queues.
The eight-gearchanges were accomplished with a swift and very smooth action whether going up or down the box, without any hesitation or hunting for the correct ratio.
Toyota has included the ability to select driving modes, differential engagement and a crawler feature through buttons adjacent to the transmission lever so a driver can call up sport, normal or eco combinations and instantly move between any of these without having to stop, which can prevent getting bogged down in very muddy places.
Commonly used minor switches are grouped on the console, wheel-spokes and lower fascia and were all clear but another pack of buttons on the overhead console above the mirror were illegible in most conditions.
Instruments infront of the driver were big, clear and selectable readouts were available while the really big infotainment screen in the console was very clear but a bit distracting when you had to select an item to view.
Heating and ventilation, split front and back for occupants’ convenience, was quick to set up, adjust and had immense output as well as four powered windows and a big glass sunroof with its shade.
Oddments room was good throughout, even for those in the two rearmost electrically folding occasional seats. Trays, bins, pockets were plentiful and their shape and capacity were good. There was also a big glovebox and a small compartment beneath the boot floor housing jack and nut-locks.
Turning to the seats themselves their access was straightforward into the front pair and middle three but more of an effort to enter the rear. But a feature I enjoyed was watching the last two seats with headrests emerge or disappear at the touch of a button so there was no stretching to pull or push them into place.
Seven seats in use meant the room for any sports equipment or shopping was just 130 litres, a very small capacity but it could gradually rise to 2000 litres as the rear and middle seats folded down.
Everyone had to climb up and into their seats and drop down out of them afterwards but their size and shape was comfortable and the adjustment range was really good, their support generous and the front pair could be cooled as well as heated.
Door mirrors were very big, electrically trimmed and aided by sensors, radar alarms and cameras so there were few blindspots to worry about.
Big windows, good washers and wipers with bright, long range and wide spread headlights added to the sense of safety in any conditions.
You ride high and can see a lot around the vehicle and hazards coming up while the visible four corners enable it to be precisely placed on the road, in woodland or urban landscapes.
The powertrain has been purpose designed to tow loads of 3.5 tonnes and it will move the car at a respectable speed through the gears. However it never improved on our 32mpg overall average, although that was some 6mpg better than the WLTP indicated.
It will be interesting to see what overall figure the upcoming hybrid model will attain.
Engine noise was reasonably muted when cruising and not pressing hard on the throttle but it became much more intrusive at high engine revs. and there was also a lot of continuous road rumble and suspension bump thump.
The actual ride was fairly smooth over all but the worst bumps and so long as you did not corner too severely when the body would roll a bit. Pitch and dip were well absorbed accelerating or braking.
You can see and feel the latest Land Cruiser is designed for serious work which it accomplishes with sophistication and refinement, and possibly a wry smile looking back at its 74 years.
The all-new Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial is on sale from 1 August 2025 with deliveries to customers from September.
The conversion process is undertaken at Toyota Manufacturing UK’s Burnaston production facility in Derbyshire, removing the rear seats, rendering the rear opaque with interior steel panel inserts and installing a full-height metal bulkhead with a mesh top section.
The commercial vehicle on-the-road price is £51,729.17.
FAST FACTS
Toyota Land Cruiser Invincible
- Price: £77,845
- Mechanical: 202bhp 2.8 litre 4-cyl turbo-diesel, 8sp auto
- Max Speed: 105mph
- 0-62mph: 10.9secs
- Combined MPG: 32
- Insurance Group: 49E
- C02 emissions: 280gkm
- Bik rating: 37%, £5,490FY, £620SRx5
- Warranty: 10yrs/ 100,000 miles
- Size: L4.93m, W1.98m, H1.94m
- Bootspace: 130 to 2,000 litres
- Kerbweight: 2520kg
For: Extremely roomy, comfortable, strong powertrain and go-anywhere ability, highly equipped
Against: High fuel consumption, rolling ride, engine and road noises, some badly marked minor overhead switches, expensive to tax, insure and run.
