Electronics sparkle of Toyota’s off-roader

TOYOTA’s latest version of its venerable Land Cruiser builds even further on its enviable off-road reputation with a raft of electronic goodies including active traction control, multi-terrain 4x4 modes, off-road-specific ABS braking and crawl control which are designed to make even the most modest pilot an off-road driving god.

Though the goodies you’ll get depend on which specification box you tick.

There are now LC3, LC4 and LC5 grades for the Land Cruiser, which comes as a five-door 3-litre auto only, simplifying the choice buyers face. But there’s a £15,000 divide which keeps the tycoon-spec LC5 away from the poverty-spec LC3.

With clever dynamic suspension which keeps body roll in check to create a much more positively steered vehicle, the Land Cruiser’s on-road manners have come on leaps and bounds. There is very little noise or vibration in the cabin, either.

Okay, it doesn’t corner like a sports saloon, but it’s no dysfunctional shopping trolley either – and the seasickness tablets can now be left in the medicine cupboard.

Crawl control

But respectable on-road manners aren’t this 4x4’s only improvement. Innovative crawl control system on LC5-spec allows the driver to ascend or descend slopes at walking pace, or free the vehicle when stuck says Toyota, without having to touch the pedals.

So effective are all these systems, that FG didn’t get its LC5 stuck during an intense off-road test among what proved to be the very slippery, muddy and demanding terrain of the Hellfire Valley among the Chiltern Hills - most of which was barely negotiable by foot.

Multi-Terrain Select allows you to choose from four programmable off-road driving modes and the sat-nav screen shows clever electronic marker points - like leaving a string line in a maze so you can find your way back – allowing you to easily retrace your steps when you’ve strayed too far into the wilderness.

A tyre angle display shows the direction the front wheels are pointing and a camera system around the vehicle gives convex wide-angle views at the front, back and sides of this 4x4.

Practical downsides? It only manages a 3-tonne towing capacity.

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