- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 7 seats
- Engine
3.3DTT, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
227kW, 700Nm
- Fuel
Diesel 8.9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4XD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2022)
2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300 review: Prototype preview
Sam Purcell gets an early taste of the 3.3-litre V6 diesel 300 Series. Does any car on the planet have bigger boots to fill than the new LandCruiser?
The time has come: a small, fleeting taste of the new 2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.
With the launch of the new LandCruiser imminent, Toyota gave Drive the rare opportunity to peek behind the curtain of its local engineering and development department, and to drive a prototype at Toyota’s Australian engineering facility.
This drive actually happened way back in May 2021, but we’ve been sworn to secrecy up until this point.
Being the first group of people outside of Toyota to drive the new LandCruiser is a monumental privilege. But it also begged the question – who was going to be the first?
After all, this was the only LandCruiser 300 development prototype available. In fact, at the time it was the only prototype on the planet outside of Japan.
The car in question is a handmade prototype. According to the small team here, it’s been through "durability hell". A closer look reveals plenty of nicks and scratches around the place. It’s got a bullbar and winch fitted, as well as some well-used recovery points.
This also explains how important accessories – both genuine and aftermarket – are in the development of the new Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.
All of this hard work makes this particular LandCruiser incredibly valuable as well. Consider how much money has been spent by Toyota getting it to this point, and the value Toyota would place on data that lives in the chassis, body, powertrain and suspension.
After this particular prototype has finished its time in Australia, it will be transported back to Japan and will be torn down – piece by piece – examined, measured and prodded, in order to extract any additional crumbs of information.
Naturally, Toyota’s engineering team was quick to set up a simple and effective solution to the problem we faced in the engineering shed. With an empty can of drink placed about 15m away on the driveaway, us journos all selected a rock and had one shot. Whoever throws closest gets the first drive.
Perhaps stupidly, I went for the glory with a hefty over-arm throw. I missed. Not by much, but it doesn’t matter. My rock bounced along out of contention.
Another in the group – who is clearly much smarter than I am – opted for a more delicate underarm lob and won the bragging rights of first steer.
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The new platform
The first thing you’ll notice from having the two LandCruisers side-by-side is the fact that dimensionally they are just about identical. Wheelbase, height, length and width are – bar a few millimetres here and there – the same.
This was handy for Toyota during the development phase, because all of the initial test mules used straight 200 Series LandCruiser bodywork. Very discreet.
But underneath those familiar bodies lay new architecture called TNGA-F. For the LandCruiser, Toyota has opted for evolution over revolution. Though it may be new, the 2021 Toyota LandCruiser retains body-on-frame construction with a ladder chassis, live rear axle and strut-based independent front suspension (IFS).
Same-same but different. Classic Toyota, right? The chassis is a ground-up new design with no carryover parts from the previous generation, but the basic recipe is markedly similar to what it replaces.
I noticed shock absorbers mounted outboard of the chassis rail, and more vertically compared to the inboard shocks on the 200 Series. And rear control arms are longer, running parallel with the chassis rails (unlike being mildly-triangulated in the 200), and mounted differently onto the rear live-axle.
The upper body retains the same general silhouette as the previous generation, but it has been designed to save weight. Along with steel used in the body frame and rear quarter panels (which are more prone to damage off-road), other bolt-on panels and doors are made from lighter aluminium.
Together with a smaller, lighter powerplant, the LandCruiser 300 Series saves a fairly significant 200kg over the 200 Series. That’s good news, because that means the LandCruiser has the potential for better efficiency and off-road capability, as well as a better payload.
And like other Toyota New Global Architecture platforms, this GA-F ladder-chassis platform is modular and can be stretched and squeezed to fit other applications.
The powertrain
Since we drove the LandCruiser prototype, much of the important information about this new F33A-FTV engine has been made publicly available.
From the new 3.3-litre turbo diesel V6, you’re looking at 700Nm between approximately 1500–3200rpm and 227kW at approximately 4500rpm. This compares to 200kW at 3600rpm and 650Nm at 1600–2600rpm for the outgoing 4.5-litre V8 1VD-FTV engine.
Whereas the old V8 diesel uses two turbochargers in a parallel configuration (one turbo for each bank of four cylinders), the hot-vee configuration of this V6 diesel allows a more complex sequential turbocharging arrangement.
While Toyota has a long history of six-cylinder diesels, this is the company’s first V6 diesel, and the first Toyota engine to run a hot-vee turbo layout.
Having a hot-vee refers to the hot exhaust ports being on the inside of a vee-configuration engine, and the cold intake ports on the outside. It’s a common design on modern European engine designs from the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but less common from American and Japanese V6 and V8 offerings.
As revs rise up from idle, the diesel V6 operates like a single-turbo for faster response and better low-rev torque. As revs rise, the second, larger turbocharger progressively comes into play.
Unlike other sequentially-turbocharged engines, Toyota’s diesel V6 never completely bypasses that first smaller turbo. At high revs, large and small scrolls work in unison to develop that 227kW peak power figure.
You’ll also notice two separate front-mount intercoolers mounted low in each corner of the front bumper.
Behind the output shaft, the story of new hardware continues. A new 10-speed gearbox also debuts on this new LandCruiser. It’s made by Toyota-owned Aisin and is called ‘Direct-Shift’.
The chief benefit of a 10-speed gearbox in comparison to a six-speed is an obvious one: a wider range of gear ratios and smaller steps between. You can have a lower first gear and higher top gear, and closer ratios to keep the engine at its sweet spot more of the time. More on this later.
Performance
Firstly, we got a quick re-acquaintance with the outgoing 200 Series LandCruiser.
The rumble and idle of the diesel V8 is something of a special sound, the combination of eight cylinders and the injectors ticking away is quite distinctive. It’s a torquey engine, but not what you would call outright fast. The onus is strongly on lower and middle rev ranges, with a bit of breathlessness felt up high in the rev range.
There is a lumbering, ponderous nature about the LandCruiser, which feeds into its feeling of big, bustling quality. It’s solid, without any real sense of dynamic ability.
What about the 300 Series, then? With more power, more torque and less weight, it doesn’t take an apple to the head to figure out that this new LandCruiser will be faster in a straight line.
My seat-of-the-pants tells me this as well, but the new LandCruiser doesn’t exactly leave the old one feeling disgraced. While it certainly feels a bit nippier, they are perhaps a little closer than you might expect.
Although it’s lacking a couple of cylinders, this new engine has a surprisingly similar character overall. It’s got a pleasant ticking rumble that’s quite similar to the V8, and the power delivery is also very similar to start with.
Off the line, it whooshes up inertia with a nice sense of effortlessness. But when you start piling on the speed and revs, this new V6 does start to feel a little bit happier to work.
Towing performance
The gap in performance between new and old becomes more noticeable when towing. With three tonnes’ worth of trailer hitched onto the back – and 300kg of ball weight – the 200 Series LandCruiser did an admirable job of pulling it as a stock-standard offering. You could certainly feel the trailer on the back – three tonnes is a significant weight after all.
The 300 Series, however, was noticeably better through the powertrain when put to task.
My basic test was this: go past a marker (a road sign) at an 80km/h cruise, floor it up a slight incline, and see what speed you can collect by the time you hit the next landmark.
After doing some towing loops in the 200 Series, I had a target to either meet of beat with the new LandCruiser.
I had a problem, though. While driving the 300 Series, I was too busy listening to the wisdom from one of Toyota’s engineers in the second row and I overshot the start marker. By a lot.
Foot floored and engine churning – with significantly less time to build pace – the 300 Series managed to equal the approximate 20km/h increase overall by the time I crossed the finish line.
I’d call that a win, and put it down to the better performance in the higher end of the rev range.
Another thing here worth noting is that the 10-speed Aisin gearbox is one of the better iterations of a double-digit gearbox I have come across.
Autos with a 10-speed count are still relatively rare, and my time spent behind the wheel was limited, so I can’t go fully guns blazing with adoration. But the fact that it didn’t feel like a 10-speed gearbox at any time, towing or unladen, is a good indication so far.
Specifically, Toyota’s 10 speed automatic never felt too busy, and doesn't seem to shift around ratios restlessly.
You can feel the torque converter locking up much faster, and the gearbox is resolute and confident in its gear selection. Perhaps the last few gears are bunched more closely at the top of the ratio spread.
Toyota tells us that this new-generation gearbox is able to lock up the torque converter much more frequently. This improves efficiency and responsiveness, and also has the potential for less heat generation.
The new LandCruiser senses when a trailer is hitched, and modifies things like stability control and gearbox calibration to suit the extra weight. The engine seems to spend most of its time around the 3000rpm mark when under load and working hard to accelerate.
Another thing, and probably the first big thing you’ll notice in the new LandCruiser – in comparison to the old one – is the lightweight steering. Electric power assistance makes for a totally different steering feel, especially at low speeds.
It does weight up nicely once driving, however, and wasn’t adversely affected by the trailer weight during our short drive.
Representatives from Toyota did mention that electrically assisted steering won’t be across the range. Hydraulic assistance will likely be the choice for lower specifications, then.
Ride and handling
With less weight to contend with, and little bit of extra stiffness through the chassis, the new LandCruiser 300 Series feels a little bit more tied down in comparison to the old LandCruiser. However, it’s mostly a very similar experience – albeit improved.
Toyota sees body-on-frame construction as the best choice for a comfortable and durable country and dirt-road vehicle, offering good levels of absorption and isolation thanks to the separation of the body and ladder chassis.
The new LandCruiser sits noticeably flatter with less body roll as the tyres load up mid-corner. As you keep prodding the accelerator, the new LandCruiser seems to handle higher speeds better overall.
There’s noticeable whistling from the duct tape and cladding in the prototype, which throws off gauging how quietly the 300 Series cruises.
It might not offer the same dynamic prowess as the likes of a Land Rover Defender and its more modern aluminium ‘D7X’ monocoque platform. Toyota has instead focussed on something known and proven, improving it incrementally rather than a complete overhaul.
Although many of the same basic ingredients form the LandCruiser’s foundations, there are a lot of subtle changes made to refine and advance this new 300 Series LandCruiser.
It’s also worth noting our road surfaces were mostly smooth and in good condition, without being velvet-smooth. It’s not what you’d call a thorough test of ride and refinement.
We also got to spend some time driving typical fast dirt roads. These were wet and potholed, and combined plenty of sweeping corners and humps to negotiate.
Once again, we sampled the 200 Series first. Like slipping on a comfortable old boot, the outgoing LandCruiser did a stellar job of soaking up rough surfaces and larger potholes as we drove – faster than most would – through the damp unsealed course. It’s a reminder of why the LandCruiser is such a consummate choice for touring Australia, even in stock-standard form.
Once you start pushing the envelope too far, you can feel the body start oscillating around as the shock absorbers struggle to keep pace.
Jumping to the 300 Series yielded a mostly similar experience. Bumps and lumps were soaked up well, but the new LandCruiser felt noticeably lighter and more responsive. Instead of feeling like it crushed the earth into smoothness, it was skipping along.
The steering – which responds much faster to inputs – also helps the LandCruiser change direction more nimbly.
Toyota puts a big emphasis on performance and ride quality over dirt and corrugations in this new 300 Series. Interestingly, the engineers spent some time benchmarking it against the old live-axle 80 Series LandCruiser, as well as the 200 Series.
We noticed the 300 Series started porpoising over the front end as we carried speed through bumpy corners, something the 200 Series didn’t do. This could be because of the front swaybar disconnecting and will need further investigation. It wasn’t enough to feel any loss of control, but it was plenty noticeable.
Toyota engineers also noticed it, and reminded us that this particular prototype has seen some hard miles during its life of evaluation. In other words, the shock absorbers could be past their prime. It’s worth noting that the front suspension also had the weight of a bullbar and winch to contend with.
Traction systems
Off-road control systems have been extensively reworked, with seven years’ worth of development going into the new LandCruiser.
Off-road traction control now works in high range – something the old LandCruiser couldn’t do – and includes the calibration of the engine, throttle, steering, brakes and new-generation Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS).
Crawl Control technology carries over, but this has also been reworked for more smoothness and control. Likewise, Turn Assist and Multi Terrain Select (MTS) have both been recalibrated, with the latter now featuring a customisable mode.
The new-generation swaybar control, which Toyota now dubs e-KDSS, still uses hydraulics to power the system. But as the name suggests, it’s now electronically controlled. Front and rear swaybars are controlled independently now as well, which allows for more variation in application.
Toyota also tells us that this new system offers more overall articulation in comparison to the 200 Series LandCruiser.
The lockable centre differential is a familiar face for the LandCruiser, but this is now joined by locking front and rear differentials depending on what specification you choose.
Perhaps a little surprisingly, most of the range misses out on the full off-road hardware, with e-KDSS and the full diff-lock suite reserved for the LandCruiser GR Sport. Price and spec details revealed after our initial drive reveal more.
Tyre size will vary depending on specification, but our test vehicle is fitted with 265/65R18 rubber. Tyre diameter remains the same as the 200 Series LandCruiser, but width is down 20mm over the previous 285/60R18 tyres.
Why narrower? Efficiency. Better for the drag coefficient and also rolling resistance. Toyota tells us that the sidewall lettering was even optimised to improve efficiency.
The tyres, made by Dunlop, were developed specially for the 300 Series. It was a massive part of the challenge, especially in terms of durability.
A quick visual inspection showed a front braking package that looked slightly larger than the 200 Series, as well. We aren’t sure yet, and won’t know until the LandCruiser is formally launched with all of it’s juicy details.
Off-road capability
In order to explore capability, we headed to a separate part of the testing facility that included some loose, steep and rutted hill climbs to try out. Unfortunately, a steady overnight rain made these tracks particularly slippery, and made it a challenge to really explore the amount of traction each vehicle was able to render back-to-back.
Both were hamstrung by their factory-supplied, road-biased tyres. An aggressive mud-terrain tyre, and a good dose of wheel speed, would have seen better progress by both vehicles.
We know from previous experience that the 200 Series is a good thing off-road, with the KDSS system offering good articulation for the big beast. Despite being quite heavy and lacking a locking rear differential, the combination of KDSS and good traction-control systems means the LandCruiser maintains grip well in tough conditions. Before traction, you’re likely to first run out of clearance. That’s if it’s not too slippery, of course.
That 200 Series engine is superb for off-roading, with bucketloads of lazy torque available, along with a good dose of power when needed.
The smaller 300 Series V6 feels quite similar. It’s not as peaky or top-end heavy as some might fear. It’s got a relaxed and linear feeling to the power and torque curves, which suits off-roading and crawling well.
While many will undoubtedly bemoan the loss of cylinders and capacity, there is no doubt that this new engine has the right ingredients to be a competent powerplant for Toyota’s flagship off-roader.
As long as it proves to be as reliable and durable as its forebears, that is.
Combine better traction systems, more locking differentials, a more advanced e-KDSS system and less heft to deal with overall, and it’s safe to say that the new LandCruiser will be a better operator overall off-road. However, thanks to the rain, we’ll have to forego a conclusion with absolute conviction until a later date.
The only potential negative is the narrower tyres, which will yield a smaller overall footprint in comparison to the wider outgoing rubber. But our experience – regardless of being thoroughly enlightening – did feel inconclusive from an off-road sense.
Crawl Control is a much better implementation in the 300 Series LandCruiser, being significantly smoother and quieter than the outgoing model. Controlling your speed is easily done via a dial on the dashboard, and you can also accelerate through it seamlessly when you want a little bit of extra pace.
Gearing feels good, and seems to be lower than the 200 Series. We don’t know the exact ratios yet, but it feels like a fair assumption thanks to the four additional gears available.
Conclusions
Our first taste of the new 300 Series LandCruiser was an experience that was, in many ways, unsurprising.
Importantly for me, the smaller engine didn’t exhibit a nature that was dependent on big throttle inputs and high revs to get the best out of it. Instead, torque felt plentiful and easily accessible in the lower rev ranges.
The new engine matches beautifully with the new 10-speed automatic gearbox, which has an equally important job of making the whole thing work.
Toyota emphasised to us a philosophy that centred around a driver’s dependence on their car, and engineers designed many systems in accordance with this philosophy. While the LandCruiser is no doubt modern and complex – including many software and hardware debuts – Toyota has been strident to engineer some degree of dependability into the platform.
They worked on allowing different elements of the vehicle to operate in the face of other failures or breakdowns. For example, if you lose an ABS wire or something like that, the knock-on effect of other elements like low-range, engine performance and locking differentials aren’t killed as well.
Much of this comes from Toyota’s Australian engineering endeavours. They explained the process of getting Japanese designers and engineers over to Australia, and the impact that their experiences of our remote and rugged areas had on development. Marble Bar is a long way from Tokyo, after all.