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A softer look for the 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser
Toyota has been building Land Cruisers for 60 years and for the past 50 years or so has been selling Land Cruisers in the United States. During that time the Land Cruiser has been known as one tough vehicle able to cross the Outback or a mall shopping lot with ease. For 2013 Toyota had created a Land Cruiser that still can cross the Outback but looks a lot more at home carting the neighborhood kids to the weekly soccer match.
The 2013 Land Cruiser receives a refreshed exterior that includes an updated front grille and headlamps with HID low-beams. In addition, there are now LED Daytime Running Lights, chrome side molding, redesigned outer side mirrors and tail lamps. Keeping with Toyota's "Advanced and Rugged" theme there are enlarged front and rear fenders along with a hood that flows gracefully into the grille and beltlines. Character lines in the front, the area around the rear door handles, and the back door panels suggest strength. Foam-filled A-pillars and a “bifacial” molding between the windshield and the body both help reduce wind noise.
Keeping with tradition, underbody panels behind the front bumper and extending under the engine, and behind the rear wheels, are designed to protect the engine and transmission and to help the vehicle traverse rocky terrain smoothly. These underbody panels also smooth the airflow under the vehicle to help minimize drag and turbulence.
The 2013 Land Cruiser is available in seven exterior colors, including Pearl White, which is new to the palette. Additional colors include Classic Silver Metallic, Magnetic Gray Metallic, Salsa Red Pearl, Sonora Gold Pearl, Amazon Green Metallic and Black.
An updated interior is available in either Sandstone or Black. Updates include perforated leather trim with ventilated front seats, a higher gloss wood grain finish, brighter silver instrument panel ornamentation, chrome-plated air registers and updated meter-cluster lighting. New interior convenience features include a Multi-terrain Monitor with front, side or rear selectable views; a new Multi-information Display; an Eco Driving Indicator light and zone display; a heated steering wheel; Dynamic Radar Cruise Control; an additional power outlet (DC 12V) at the rear of the center console; and a rear cargo deck power outlet that has been changed to AC 120V from AC 115V.
Land Cruiser seats up to eight, with three-across seating in the second and third rows. The instrument panel features a set of bright Optitron gauges with white illumination. Beneath these gauges, a multi-informational display shows gear selection, odometer, tripmeter, fuel consumption, individual tire pressures and cruising range. The vehicle's center console features a gate-type shifter with sequential-shift-mode operation, the parking brake, center-console cooler box, USB port and cup holders.
The passenger-side second-row seat features a one-touch tumble mechanism for easier third-row ingress and egress. The second-row seats slide forward and aft 4.1 inches for more passenger comfort and cargo storage versatility. The second row also provides the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) child seat attachment system.
To get you across the African Plains or PTA meeting the Land Cruiser’s has a 5.7-liter V8 DOHC engine produces 381 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 401 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm. Ninety percent of peak torque is available at just 2,200 rpm which should make it an outstanding tow vehicle. The Land Cruiser uses regular-grade gasoline and is ULEV-II certified.
The V8's advanced dual independent Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) system controls valve timing and overlap on both the intake and exhaust valves, which helps to optimize power, fuel efficiency and emissions. The Acoustic Control Induction System (ACIS) switches the length of the intake tract in two stages, based on RPM and throttle angle, to improve torque across the engine speed range. Stainless steel exhaust manifolds flow into a full stainless steel exhaust system. A water-cooled oil cooler helps control oil temperature while towing.
A six-speed automatic transmission is designed to handle high torque while performing with luxurious smoothness. Fourth gear is direct drive, and both fifth and sixth gears are overdrive ratios. The transmission's control unit estimates road conditions to select the appropriate gear ratio for the vehicle's speed and driving conditions. A sequential shift mode allows the driver to select gears manually.
All this rides on a high-mount double-wishbone front-suspension system which uses gas-pressure shock absorbers, a hollow stabilizer bar, and coil springs. Approach and departure angles are 30 degrees and 20 degrees, respectively. At the rear, the reliable and proven four-link, coil-spring with lateral-rod format provides a long suspension stroke and also features gas-pressure shock absorbers and a hollow stabilizer bar.
The Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) adjusts the lean resistance provided by the front and rear stabilizer bars. In off-road driving situations, KDSS allows the wheels on each axle to move with a larger degree of side-to-side independence, helping to minimize any tendency for wheel lift. During cornering, when both front and rear cylinders are compressed, no fluid is flowing in the system, and the stabilizer bars work conventionally to help reduce body lean. When an uneven surface is encountered, one compressed cylinder causes fluid to flow between the front and rear cylinders, allowing the stabilizer bars to move freely. This action increases wheel articulation and travel, and it also helps to equalize wheel loading. By allowing the stabilizer bars to disengage in certain situations, the nominal stiffness of the bars can be notably increased, thereby reducing body lean and improving handling without negatively affecting ride comfort or off-road performance.
New on Land Cruiser is a Multi-terrain Select system that dials in wheel slip control to match the terrain. In loose terrain such as mud and sand, more-than-normal wheel slip is permitted, allowing wheel-spin to work in the vehicle’s favor. On bumpy moguls, or solid rock, wheel slip is minimized and the system acts more like a limited slip differential. The Mogul setting is for any extremely uneven terrain, such as V-ditches, slopes, and ridges, uphill or down.
Land Cruiser rides on P285/60 R18 mud-and-snow steel-belted radial tires mounted on new 18 x 8.0-inch aluminum alloy wheels with a high-gloss finish (including a full-size spare). The brake system employs 13.4-inch ventilated discs with four-piston calipers up front and 13.6-inch ventilated discs at the rear. Variable gear ratio power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering requires just 3.1 turns lock-to-lock. Gear ratio is set larger around the steering center and smaller around the end position.
The lightweight, compact transfer case provides full-time four-wheel drive with a low-range 2.618:1 ratio for traversing challenging driving surfaces, such as steep inclines. The system uses a TORSEN® limited-slip locking center differential to distribute power 40:60 front-to-rear, directing more power to the wheels with the best grip should slippage occur. Traction control (TRAC) employs both brake and throttle intervention to help control wheel spin. Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), with a cut-off switch, helps maintain directional control during cornering.
A new five-speed CRAWL Control with an Off-Road Turn Assist feature helps make traversing difficult terrain easier. With the transfer case shifted into low range, CRAWL Control regulates engine speed and output (along with braking force), to propel the vehicle forward or in reverse at one of five low-speed settings. This allows the driver to maintain focus on steering over extremely rough level ground or steep grades, without having to also modulate the throttle or brake pedals. The Off-Road Turn Assist feature pulses the rear corner brakes to help the vehicle make sharper turns when maneuvering through tight quarters on rugged terrain. CRAWL Control with Off-Road Turn Assist includes Downhill Assist Control (DAC), which is designed to augment the low-speed descending ability of low-range by helping to hold the vehicle to a target speed with practically no driver intervention. Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) provides additional control for off-road driving by helping to keep the vehicle stationary while starting on a steep incline or slippery surface.
Like all Toyotas, the Land Cruiser comes standard with the STAR Safety System™. A new, four-wheel multi-terrain anti-lock braking system (ABS) automatically selects the optimal ABS profile to provide the most suitable brake force for on- and off-road driving surfaces. Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) balances braking forces between the front and rear brakes, while Brake Assist (BA) provides auxiliary force to assist the driver during emergency braking. Active Traction Control (A-TRAC) helps maintain traction during acceleration by controlling engine output and braking forces to the wheel, distributing the drive force that might have been lost to the wheels and tires that have traction. VSC (with a cut-off switch) helps maintain directional control during cornering by manipulating engine torque and individual wheel-braking influence if it detects tire slippage.
Toyota’s 36-month/36,000 mile basic new-vehicle warranty applies to all components other than normal wear and maintenance items. Additional 60-month warranties cover the powertrain for 60,000 miles and corrosion with no mileage limitation. Toyota dealers have complete details on the limited warranty.
The Land Cruiser will also come standard with Toyota Care, a complimentary plan covering normal factory-scheduled maintenance and 24-hour roadside assistance for two years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Toyota did not release pricing information but you can bet it will be alot.
01/06/12
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