Cars & Autos | Wednesday 4 November, 2015 1:28 pm |

Abdul Latif Jameel and Toyota have announced the launch of the 2016 Land Cruiser in the Kingdom, introducing a technically advanced luxury SUV with genuine off-road capabilities, enhanced refinement and comfort for passengers. This world-beating, go-anywhere Land Cruiser is the ninth generation of Toyota’s legendary Land Cruiser SUV line and remains true to its illustrious heritage in being a thoroughbred off-roader.

 

According to Sadayoshi Koyari, Chief Engineer for the new Land Cruiser, “The Land Cruiser is a true go anywhere, all-terrain four-wheel drive SUV that has always exceeded expectations all around the globe. It offers elegance, sophistication and luxury while being tough and practical. Moreover, it represents a luxurious bridge between civilization and adventure while offering not just excitement but also utility. The new Land Cruiser reaffirms a tradition of quality and advanced technology. That is why when people think four-wheel drive SUV -- they automatically think ‘Land Cruiser’ as it sets the standard.”

 

Mr. Hassan Jameel, Abdul Latif Jameel’s Vice President, said: “The Land Cruiser has long been one of the best-selling vehicles in the Saudi market. With a pedigree that can be traced back over 50 years, the Land Cruiser commands customer loyalty matching the vehicle’s legacy of phenomenal all-terrain performance and reliability. “

 

“With each and every new Land Cruiser, Toyota has the same fundamental aims. The first is to build on the vehicle’s tradition of reliability, durability and off-road performance; the second is to improve handling stability, ride comfort and driving pleasure. As the 2016 Land Cruiser gets ready to be rolled out in the region, we sincerely appreciate the loyalty of our customers who have made the Land Cruiser an integral part of their lives over the years.” Concluded Mr. Jameel.

 

Toyota’s ‘no compromise’ approach is evident in the Land Cruiser’s traditional body-on-frame construction, crucial to its ability to tackle the toughest terrain. This tried and tested approach is matched by sophisticated handling, suspension and drivetrain systems that extend the off-road capabilities while enhancing comfort and stability in normal driving. The new Land Cruiser retains the well-established features that have contributed to the vehicle’s worldwide rugged appeal and thoroughbred off-roader status. These include advanced technology driving aids such as Downhill Assist Control (DAC) and Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), and a wealth of active and passive safety features, including a multi-terrain ABS system.

 

Functionally Appealing Design 

 

For more than 60 years, consistently high quality and technical sophistication have earned Land Cruiser its special status in Toyota’s model line-up, embodying the company’s world-beating four-wheel drive capability. The design of the Land Cruiser needed to respect this heritage, while bringing Toyota’s off-road image up-to-date. The new Land Cruiser exemplifies the ‘Vibrant Clarity’ aspect of Toyota’s brand design philosophy, which guides the development of off-road models that are vibrant and energetic, while retaining clarity of purpose. While further evolving the "advanced and rugged" design direction of the previous model, the new model has been designed for enhancing the functional appeal and advanced feel, to position it at the very top of full-fledged 4WD SUVs.

 

The design concept of ‘Functional Beauty’ is well defined by the distinctive grille frame that leaves a striking impression. The convex shape continues from the engine hood to radiator grille while the center of the engine hood is concaved, accentuating the solid and 3-dimensional feel of the front face. Chrome-plating has been applied to the top and bottom of the triple horizontal grille bars, thus expressing the bar rigidity and portraying both functional beauty and toughness. 

 

The side view of the Land Cruiser exudes a rugged appearance with thicker bumpers and a higher hood line. Through newly-designed front and rear lamps and raised bumper peak, the vehicle posture when seen from the side has been improved, and the axis of the vehicle side has been set higher to express the flowing vehicle design.

 

The wide and high-lift appearance of the rear completes the Land Cruiser’s traditional tough image. The back door panel connecting to the rear combination lamps expresses power and a protruding feel, and the wider license garnish penetrates into the bottom of the rear combination lamps, adding a sophisticated and unified feel to the rear.

 

A new colour line-up allows customers to enjoy a wide range of options that match the new Land Cruiser’s premium and tough character. The 2016 Land Cruiser is available in 10 exterior colours: Pearl White, Super White, Silver Metallic, Grey Metallic, Dark Red Mica Metallic, Black, Beige Mica Metallic and Attitude Black Mica, plus two newly developed colours - Copper Brown Mica and Dark Blue Mica. 

 

Luxurious Interiors 

 

The new Land Cruiser’s quality craftsmanship and reassuring functionality can be felt at every touch point. A great deal of attention has been paid to the genuine leather thickness and edge treatment to achieve both functionality and high quality. The metal-like ornamentation of the functional parts unified with satin silver paint, coordinated with the hairline finished aluminium-like ornamentation on the centre and upholstered areas conveys a dignified feel emanating from the contrast and harmony of the materials creating a quality atmosphere worthy of the ‘King of 4WD’.

 

A piano black finish has been applied on the display panel for a precise and high quality appearance, and a newly adopted Optitron meter - equipped with a 4.2-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) colour Multi-information Display and odometer/ trip meter liquid display with suitable lettering size - contributes to enhanced visibility. 

 

The 2016 Land Cruiser’s seat adjustment function enable comfortable 2nd-row seating, and its spacious packaging is capable of seating adults in the 3rd-row. The third-row seats can be easily configured as a spacious luggage compartment or comfortable occupant seating. It also features a convenient power back door that can be remotely operated. The Land Cruiser features a split-opening type door that enables the upper door to be opened independently. 

 

Perforated leather trim front seats and a leather trim steering wheel that features controls for the audio system, Multi-Information Display and Bluetooth hands-free phone system are just a few of the comforts available in the spacious cabin. Storage for small items has been added to the center cluster, and a wireless smartphone charger is available as an option. 

 

A total of 4 interior colours are available, including two newly added colours – ‘Flaxen’ and ‘Brown’ – that incorporate modern Shimamoku instrumentation to further enhance the elegant and luxurious atmosphere of the cabin.

 

The air conditioning for the Land Cruiser is designed to maintain peak performance even when the vehicle is being driven in extreme climates. The digital, fully automatic system provides four-zone, independent temperature control. In the front there are 14 vents and ducts providing air flow with manual or automatic temperature control. A further 14 ducts in the ceiling and door pillars and at floor level ensure rear passengers are equally comfortable, in both the second and third row of seats. Independent right and left temperature control is provided, even for the rearmost seats.

 

Powerful Engine and Superior Driving Dynamics

 

 

The Land Cruiser is available with a wide range of engine options in the form of petrol and diesel. The petrol engines available are: 4 -liter 24 Valve DOHC with dual VVT-i V6 engine, 4.6-liter 32 Valve DOHC with dual VVT-i V8 engine, 5.7-liter 32 Valve DOHC with dual VVT V8 engine while in the case of the diesel engine, there is a 4.5-liter 32 Valve DOHC Twin-turbo V8 engine.

 

The new Land Cruiser features genuine off-road capabilities to offer a smooth and quiet 8-speed Automatic Transmission. Even with all its power, the Land Cruiser’s is no brute. It’s a highly refined machine, employing such technologies as dual independent Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (Dual VVT-i) and an Acoustic Control Induction System (ACIS) to help maximize performance and efficiency. ACIS changes the length of the intake tract in two stages, based on RPM and throttle angle to optimize torque across the engine speed range.

 

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 - ideal for added control in challenging drive conditions.

 

The Land Cruiser is one of the most technically advanced four-wheel drive vehicles ever produced and is equipped with a series of advanced dynamic and handling features. These have been further extended in the new model to work in conjunction with the Crawl Control function, plus Multi-Terrain Select, Multi-Terrain Monitor and Tyre Angle Display Feature. 

 

The Crawl Control System helps maintain a low uniform vehicle speed by automatically controlling the engine output and brake hydraulic pressure for the purpose of reducing driver burden when in off-road conditions. Crawl control is effective on jagged off-road conditions and slippery surfaces by moderating the accelerator and brake operations, leaving the driver to fully focus on steering the vehicle. The smooth control minimizes wheel spin and wheel lock-up, ensuring superior stability even on slippery surfaces.

 

Other features include a Multi-Terrain Monitor used in conjunction with Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) to help drivers confirm their surroundings when driving off-road. The driver can select a view from the front, side, and rear cameras to easily check the vehicle blind spots and confirm their surroundings. The MTS includes Underfloor View and Panoramic View to enable the driver to visually confirm the area under the vehicle and in the front and sides respectively.

 

The range of advanced active-driving control features extends to the Active Traction Control system which ensures excellent limited-slip differential (LSD) functionality by controlling brake pressure to slipping wheels when running off-road in the L4 mode. Adding to the versatility of the Land Cruiser is the Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) system which prevents vehicle roll-back when stopping and then starting again on a steep incline or slippery surface while the Downhill Assist Control (DAC) helps improve directional control during descent on steep or slippery surfaces.

 

In addition, the vehicle features an Active Height Control and Adaptive Variable Suspension (AHC&AVS), a fully adjustable system that gives exceptional performance off-road. It also regulates pitch and body roll on-road to maintain ride comfort and refinement. For lift gate back door models, Aero Stabilizing Fins have also been added to the outer lens of the rear combination lamps, contributing to excellent handling and stability.

 

Unmatched Safety Technologies

 

The Land Cruiser is as solid as it looks with a body structure that makes extensive use of high-strength steel. A four-wheel multi-terrain Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) automatically adapts braking performance to suit the surface on which the vehicle is travelling. 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.

 

An Emergency Brake Signal is also available and it automatically blinks the hazard lamps at the same time as the stop lamp illumination during emergency braking. The signal warns the driver in the following vehicle and helps reduce his/her reaction time, thus contributing to reducing the risk of being hit by the following vehicle.

 

In order to ensure safety for pedestrians, the Land Cruiser also has a Pedestrian Protection through Impact Alleviation Structure. Clearance has been set between the engine hood front edge and the hood lock striker to achieve a structure that easily deforms upon impact with the aim of ensuring pedestrian protection performance. 

 

The 2016 Land Cruiser has a total of ten airbags. Both driver and front seat passenger have knee airbag protection and both front airbags have a two-stage inflation capability to match the severity of the collision impact. Side airbags are standard on the front and second row seats, and curtain shield airbags protect outer seat passengers in all three rows. 

 

Active headrests on the driver and front passenger seats move up and forward almost instantly in the event of rear-end collisions to help reduce the distance between the occupant's head and the headrest. The advanced seatbelt system is designed to retract the front seatbelts when the brakes are suddenly applied.

 

The Rear View Monitor System displays video images of objects behind the-vehicle in order to help the visibility of the driver when backing up. There is also a Clearance and Back Sonar System which helps assist the driver in detecting the presence of obstacles when manoeuvring the vehicle in tight areas and/or when parking the vehicle.

 

The Land Cruiser’s new advanced safety technology package called Toyota Safety Sense includes items that are particularly effective in reducing risk of accidents. These include the following:

 

• Pre-Crash Safety system (PCS) that uses sensors to detect other vehicles or obstructions and warns the driver to perform evasive manoeuvres while automatically activating the brakes when there is a high probability of a collision Radar Cruise Control helps maintain a suitable vehicle-to-vehicle distance while following the preceding vehicle.
• Lane Departure Alert (LDA) system warns the driver when the vehicle is unintentionally deviating from its lane.
• Automatic High Beam (AHB) System detects oncoming headlamps and/or tail lamps of preceding vehicles and automatically controls high beam to reduce glare.

 

Toyota Motor Corporation and Abdul Latif Jameel Company, the authorized distributor of Toyota vehicles in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have shared a 60-year relationship that has grown into one of the leading automotive dealerships in the kingdom. Backed by a policy of the guest comes first, Abdul Latif Jameel’s stewardship of Toyota brands in Saudi Arabia is supported by a kingdom-wide sales and service network that is renowned its commitment to excellence at every level.