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October 6, 2021
A dramatic evolution of the "Land Cruiser"—a test drive of the new Toyota Land Cruiser | TOYOTA
A Ride of Relaxed Comfort—The Diesel ZX
First, it should be noted that the test drive was limited to general roads in Tokyo and expressways such as the Chuo Expressway and Ken-O Expressway. We did not conduct any off-road testing.
The first model driven was the ZX grade equipped with a diesel engine. The newly developed 3.3-liter V6 twin-turbo diesel engine features Toyota's first hot V layout, with turbochargers mounted within the 90° V-bank. It produces a maximum output of 309 ps at 4,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 700 Nm between 1,600 and 2,600 rpm, driving all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission with lock-up.
As it is a popular model, I pressed the fingerprint-認証 start button—a new feature for anti-theft purposes (though it was deactivated on this press vehicle)—and set off. The relaxed ride was so pronounced that it elicited an involuntary exclamation. In "Comfort" or "Normal" drive modes, the large vehicle body felt like it was gently swaying with every bump, even when crossing minor undulations. This sensation persisted even on the highway; it only settled down in "Sport" mode, and was fully controlled in "Sport+."
Pressing the accelerator elicits a powerful acceleration with a characteristic diesel sound, but once at a constant speed, the cabin becomes remarkably quiet and comfortable, as expected of a modern vehicle. The power steering, which combines hydraulic systems with electric actuators, not only reduces kickback during off-road driving but also enables steering support functions like Lane Tracing Assist. In fact, its straight-line stability is excellent. The exterior is characterized by a hood with a central indentation and a massive front grille.