Toyota's New LandCruiser Named 4x4 Wagon of the Year

Toyota's all-new LandCruiser 300 Series has been judged the best 4x4 wagon in the country, according to the experts at the leading off-road publication 4X4 Australia.

Naming the LandCruiser VX as 4x4 Wagon of the Year, editor Matt Raudonikis said Toyota understood the recipe for success in Australia's harsh local landscape, describing the new model as an industry leader for another generation of off-roaders.

"Seventy years of experience and development have chiselled and shaped the LandCruiser to what it is now, and that heritage shows in the way the 300 Series handles whatever you point it at," he said.

The victory followed a wide-ranging assessment in which LandCruiser was put through its paces against rivals during a three-day proving ground test followed by a gruelling six-day overland trek.

Judges were particularly impressed by the performance and efficiency of LandCruiser's V8-beating 3.3-litre twin-turbo diesel V6 engine, noting it has "plenty of power and torque for whatever you want to do with it, and surprisingly good fuel economy."

Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the award is a tribute to the significant contribution from the company's Australian engineers in creating the best LandCruiser yet.

"Working closely with our colleagues in Japan, our team undertook an unprecedented amount of development, testing and validation for the local and global markets," Mr Hanley said.

"This included tuning and calibrating off-road systems over a vast variety of surfaces and harsh terrain, as well as testing and validating the new platform, body structure, powertrain and towing capability," he said.

"As a result, the new vehicle will extend the trust that generations of Australians have in LandCruiser's ability to take them to the remotest corners of the country and bring them home again in safety and comfort," he said.

LandCruiser VX is comprehensively equipped with Bi-LED headlights, 18-inch premium alloy wheels, heated and ventilated front seats, a 12.3-inch multimedia display with satellite navigation1 and a 10-speaker Pioneer®2 sound system.

Brimming with off-road technology, it includes a Multi-Terrain Select traction control system developed extensively in Australia, Multi-Terrain Monitor with panoramic view monitor, low-range transfer case with lockable centre differential, crawl control, downhill assist control and hill start assist control.

As with every LandCruiser 300 Series, the VX comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense3 technologies, which include a pre-collision safety system with pedestrian and cyclist detection, all-speed active cruise control, automatic high beam, lane departure alert with brake to steer, and road sign assist.

Power comes courtesy of the 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged diesel V6 engine producing 227kW/700Nm, mated to a new-generation 10-speed automatic transmission.

All new Toyota vehicles are covered by the five-year, unlimited-kilometre Toyota Warranty Advantage4.

Toyota Service Advantage provides capped-price servicing for the first 10 scheduled services at $375 each.5