First Drive: Toyota Land CruiserForget the SUV fashion fops. Forget about "soft roaders" and school-run mums. This is what off-road vehicles are meant to be about: a promise.
It's a promise to get you there and back, regardless of the route that lies ahead.
It might seem an anachronism in this current age of rugged tanks for surburban commuters, but it espouses the original virtues of off-roaders: they won't leave you stranded in a muddy field or halfway up a mountain. That's why people buy Land Cruisers, and to date there are two million owners since the vehicle was introduced back in the 1950s.
Forget the Aygo, Yaris or even the Corolla: the Land Cruiser is the vehicle upon which the heritage of Toyota is firmly affixed. Whatever about its reputation for reliability in the family car market, Toyota made its name for reliability first and foremost in regions of the world where breaking down is simply not an option: it's life and death. And it did so with earlier generations of this off-roader and its sibling pick-up, the Hilux.
This latest version of the V8 flagship in the range is being billed as "king of all roads". That's some claim, but when your fanbase stretches from UN peacekeepers to Arab bedouins, then perhaps every road is open to you after all.
SUVs may have attracted a lot of unfavourable attention over the past decade for the rising number of "soft-roaders" taking to our driveways, but there's nothing soft about the Land Cruiser V8, apart from the leather seats.
As if to underline the importance of this model to the Toyota range, the test schedule for this new Land Cruiser V8 was pretty remarkable. The result of five years testing - twice as long as a regular car - the Japanese brand pitted it against the deserts of Oman, the roads of the US and the swamps of Australia.
The end product is a vehicle that Toyota confidently claims can transport occupants through some of the world's roughest terrain, and back on to tarmac. And inside, you'll be cocooned from the elements with comfort features taken from the premium saloons.
Now to get some of the figures out of the way: the new V8 4.5-litre diesel engine puts out 286bhp, which means it's powerful enough to push the 2.5 tonnes of metal without complaint. Of more importance, however, is the torque figure: at 650 newton metres from just 1,600rpm, that's significantly up on the previous version, though still some way off the 4.2-litre diesel with 760Nm on offer from Audi in its Q7 range.
Yet the Audi could never match this Toyota when it comes to the rough stuff. Overall, the new diesel has 50 per cent more torque and 40 per cent more power than the outgoing biggest diesel in the range, and the Japanese brand is also claiming 4 per cent better fuel consumption.
OUR TEST ROUTE TOOK US across mountain ridges, over sand dunes and along dried-out river beds. What should have been a white-knuckle ride became somewhat monotonous in the end. That's testament to the car's ability. Most of our time in the cabin was spent trying to find a decent radio station as the Land Cruiser V8 coped with shoe-swallowing sand dunes and rocky inclines.
In fact the only way to truly appreciate the Land Cruiser's capability was to try and walk a few steps of the route. Whatever about the stony ground and enormous potholes, the fact that a vehicle stretching nearly five metres in length could tiptoe through the sand and mud without getting stuck was truly impressive. You start to understand how it managed to earn such a strong reputation and how it has won nine of the past 10 Paris-Dakar rallies in the production model category.
The difference between the V8 and regular versions is not just the engines, but also the interior trim. The seven-seat version is actually based on the Lexus range more than the rest of the Toyota interiors.
That's understandable, for in several markets including the US, this V8 version is rebadged as a Lexus. It makes perfect sense given the level of comfort on offer and the price tag, but Toyota is loath to drop the Land Cruiser name in more established markets where the moniker is held in such high esteem already.
In the Middle East, for example, we've come across Arab motorists for whom Land Cruiser is the byword for off-roading reliability. You simply couldn't buy this sort of loyalty.
For on-road driving, the great news is that the V8 has the sort of power to push the 2.5-tonne Toyota from a standing start to 100km/h in just over eight seconds. Better still, the new Torsen limited slip central differential - with its rear-wheel bias - makes it one of the most competent cornering vehicle in its class.
True, it doesn't really beat the BMW X5 or the Range Rover Sport for on-road ability, but neither of those vehicles could attempt to match the Toyota when you leave the tarmac.
The V8 mixes competent on-road performance that doesn't feel like you've made a compromise, with phenomenal off-road ability. There's simply nothing else you'd want to be in when stuck in the desert in Darfur, the wilds of the Australian outback or the mountains of Afghanistan.
In those situations, the V8s thirsty performance might not be appreciated, but Toyota will fit a second fuel tank if you so require. In terms of safety, not only is there all that metal to protect you, but the new V8 comes with 14 airbags as standard, including dual front-knee airbags.
Rivals like the Range Rover will retain their prestige image and popularity.
However, in the off-roading stakes there's little to compare to the Land Cruiser. This V8 model comes complete with a host of comfort features that will win it favour with those who like their luxury, but require real off-road ability.
It's not cheap, with a price tag of just under €127,000, but it's such an impressive all-rounder, you just can't help but admire it. It stands outside the fashion fray being played out in the SUV market in the past few years. This is the real deal.
Factfile: Toyota Land Cruiser
V8Engine: 4461cc V8 in line diesel putting out 286bhp @ 3,600rpm and 650 Nm of torque from 1,600rpm
Performance: 0-100km/h - 8.2 secs; max - 210km/h
Specification: Very high standard features including 14 airbags including knee airbags for driver and front passenger; ABS; leather seats; touchscreen interface with Sat-Nav/radio-CD stereo; air-conditioning
Official fuel consumption: L/100km (mpg)
Urban: 12.0 (23.5)
Extra-urban: 9.1 (30.9)
Combined: 10.2 (27.6)
CO2 emissions: 270 g/km
Price: €126,440