2022 Toyota Land Cruiser GXL-An important element of the Land Cruiser's redesign is the radical change of powerplant – no more V8s here. Before diesel models show up, the Land Cruiser will arrive in Mother Russia with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 packing direct injection. But the advanced engine is still a thirsty thing, gobbling up premium fuel with gluttonous abandon. Where the Land Cruiser 200 sucked down 15 to 20 liters of gas every 100 kilometers, the Land Cruiser 300 is no better. Even the addition of a ten-speed automatic can’t save the new model.
2022 Toyota Land Cruiser GXL
Experienced Land Cruiser drivers will no doubt wonder what the point of all this grunt is in an SUV, especially when previous examples had less-than-stellar brakes and poor handling dynamics caused by the high center of gravity. After all, the new Land Cruiser’s chassis is really the same as before: longitudinal frame, independent suspension with transverse arms at the front, and a continuous axle with longitudinal bars behind. Even the brake discs are the same size. But despite this similarity, Toyota still rethought every chassis component’s structure and managed to shave a substantial amount of weight off in the process.
2022 Toyota Land Cruiser GXL
What both versions of the Land Cruiser have in common is that strong engine and a stout electronically controlled transfer case. Drop into neutral and flick a toggle switch to move into low-range. Switching back happens just as quickly and easily, so there’s no rocking or waiting or fidgeting of any kind. It’s very convenient when difficult obstacles that require careful crawling interrupt higher-speed sections of trail.