Tag Archives: Toyota

2021 Toyota Land Cruiser Review

Posted on by

Forget the Corolla or Camry. The Land Cruiser is Toyota’s longest running vehicle series ever, having just reached its 16th generation after first debuting way back in 1951. Some 14 years since the 200-Series was launched in 2007, the all-new 300-Series version has arrived with a bolder exterior, new engines, more luxury inside, and a further evolution of that same bullet-proof reliability that made the car a living legend.

But order one today, and you won’t be picking it up until summer 2023. Yes, that’s right. The new Land Cruiser has a waiting time of over two years! According to Toyota, the intermittent supply of superconductors and parts from South-East Asia has severely hampered the production of the new model to the extent that Toyota in Japan has stopped taking orders. Deliveries to major export markets will be delayed as well.

Image Credits: Toyota Japan

In its home market of Japan, it may not be one of the brand’s big sellers (when they have enough inventory to sell that is!), but over the last seven decades, the Land Cruiser has become a hugely popular, heavy-duty, go-anywhere vehicle in regions like the Middle East, Australia, Russia and Africa. Up against strong rivals like the Land Rover Defender and Mercedes Benz G-Class, Toyota’s superior build quality wins out.

Middle East and Australia Account for over 70% of sales

While the Middle East market might account for around 60% of global sales, my home country of Australia just happens to boast a 10% global share thanks to a strong rural fan-base where more than two in three farmers own a Land Cruiser. The reasons: reliability, durability, and cost performance. Whether in the Middle East or Australia, when you’re 100 miles from the nearest town, in rough off-road terrain and the temperature is 45C, you can’t afford to break down. If this off-roader is famous for anything, it’s not breaking down.

The vehicle’s unparalleled reliability, dependability, and popularity make the Land Cruiser a greatly sought-after vehicle in many parts of the world—to the extent that a thriving underground network of smuggling and illegal exportation has developed. In fact, in Japan today, the Land Cruiser currently holds the unenviable record as ‘the most stolen vehicle.’

Image Credits: Toyota Japan

So let’s see what makes this legendary SUV such a hit. Firstly is it the design? Unlike the Defender, G-Class, Jeep, Ford Bronco, or even Suzuki Jimny, which, over the years, have inherited similar and evolving design themes from generation to generation, the Land Cruiser has not had one identifiable exterior feature throughout the decades. So Toyota could have been really adventurous with the new model’s design, in the same way as Land Rover totally overhauled the Defender’s styling but retained key design characteristics from previous models thus maintaining the styling lineage. But it was not. A big part of what Toyota did do to make the car handle better and improve economy and emissions made the Land Cruiser some 200-kgs lighter by employing such weight-saving measures as lighter powertrains and an aluminum roof and hood. The new model now tips the scales at around 2430-kgs.





Design Features New Body-On-Frame Chassis

Simply put, the new 300-Series Land Cruiser, which comes in a choice of either 5-seater or 7-seater versions, looks like a neat, safe, unadventurous evolution of the outgoing 200-Series. The new model inherits the same boxy proportions, but this time it gets a larger, bolder grille and similar squarish headlights. With more on-road presence, the new version does appear more rugged, having been given accented edges and lines on its side profile, flared wheel arches, deeper side skirts, and a more stylized D-pillar.

What does all that mean? It translates to Toyota wanting to please a strong, global but conservative customer base who care a lot more about the reliability and the latest technology than design flare. The bottom line is that Land Cruiser owners want more of the same performance and reliability, more of what this tough SUV has delivered over the last 70 years.

Image Credits: Toyota Japan

Image Credits: Toyota Japan

Speaking of technology, the new 300-Series sits on the same upgraded platform as the Lexus LX and US-spec Toyota Tundra, quirkily referred to as the TNGA-F (Toyota New Global Architecture, the ‘F’ referring to full-size SUVs) platform. This refers to the Land Cruiser’s separate body and chassis setup or as Toyota calls it, a ‘body-on-frame’ structure. For the record, some SUVs like the Defender use a monocoque body shell like many cars, whereas others including the Jeep Wrangler and G-Class, have a separate body and chassis. Now, having a separate chassis, like the Jeep and Land Cruiser, allows carmakers to fit solid axles and beefier suspension to absorb sizable off-road undulations. This also aids in providing more precise, sharper handling and better ride quality.

The outgoing 200-Series model used Toyota’s Kinetic Dynamic System which could change the stiffness of the dampers and even temporarily disconnect the anti-roll bars to provide better axle articulation or improved traction on uneven surfaces. The new 300-Series employs a similar system but it is controlled by electronics instead of hydraulics which allows it to react faster and be more compliant in changing road conditions.

The Driving Experience

Given the Land Cruiser’s pedigree as an unbreakable off-roader, it incorporates full-time 4WD and locking differentials as standard. But it also comes with Multi-terrain Select (MTS) which automatically detects what kind of surface you’re driving on and sets the vehicle’s suspension up for you. That’s connected to the Multi-terrain Monitor that shows you a virtual ‘see-through’ of the SUV’s hood on the infotainment system to give you a clear view of what rocks and ruts lie ahead. Obviously, it helps drivers park in narrow spaces and prevents you from scraping your wheels on high kerbs.

The old 200-Series were unbeatable off-road but when it came to on-road handling, the outgoing model used to roll and wallow in the corners and did suffer from understeer. The new model’s platform is stiffer and has a lower center of gravity while the upgraded Kinetic Dynamic suspension and steering upgrades help the car to turn in sharper with greater precision, sit flatter and with greater poise on straightaways while reducing body roll in the corners and brilliantly absorbing undulations and road vibrations.

Image Credits: Toyota Japan

One of the most significant changes in the new 300-Series is the all-new engine range. Gone are the aging gasoline and diesel V8s, replaced by newly developed V6 twin turbo gasoline and diesel powertrains with 10-speed automatic transmissions. That’s right, the old 8-speed has been upgraded to an eye-opening 10-speed box. The new Land Cruiser might get a 10-speed automatic gearbox, but being a heavy-duty off-roader, it also comes with the usual low-range gears allowing you to engage slow crawl modes to descend sharp slopes.

The smaller, more compact gasoline V6 3.5-liter produces 415-hp and 650-Nm of torque, a figure that significantly outperforms the previous gasoline V8’s 381-hp and 543-Nm. Meanwhile, the diesel V6 3.3-liter twin turbo pumps out 309-hp but generates a gutsy 700-Nm of torque which makes it the more desirable choice for farmers in Australia, for example, who need plenty of pulling power to haul trailers and livestock around.

Both V6s deliver better fuel economy, lighter curb weights, cleaner emissions, and more power, which all sounds like the holy grail of engine lineups. And well it may be for the Land Cruiser. Having spent some time behind the wheel of both the new gasoline and diesel versions, I’d have to say that both deliver more than enough performance, merge smoothly and powerfully in traffic, and generate good pulling power while reducing your fuel costs. Improved sound absorbing materials in the cabin and floor also make the driving experience more pleasant with less wind and road noise reaching the cockpit. In fact, the Land Cruiser is approaching the whispery silence of the Lexus LX, especially on the gasoline version. At idle and low revs, however, the diesel V6 still displays the customary diesel clatter of previous versions until you get the car over around 20km/h.

Image Credits: Toyota Japan

Did Toyota Pinch Some Lexus Designers?

Ah, that new cabin. Toyota seems to have pinched some designers from Lexus because the new interior is leagues ahead of the outgoing model. Fitted with soft leather, high quality plastics, aluminum accents, and shiny tactile switches, the 300-Series feels more like a Range Rover than an old Land Cruiser. It is far more high-tech with full digital readouts in the driver’s binnacle, and a large touchscreen boasting crystal clear graphics and easy-to-use slide functions. But one aspect of this new model I particularly like is its bent for analog switches that all have a luxurious look and feel to them including the air-conditioner and audio volume controls.

One other feature that really caught my eye was the power-assisted 3rd row seat foldaway and fold-out function. Press a button just inside the rear doors and you will engage electric motors that slowly raise the 3rd row seat back from a fully flat position to an upright one, before revealing the seat cushion from under the floor like a kid poking their tongue out at you.

Interestingly this function is not available on models supplied to the U.S., a country that actually does not get the new Land Cruiser. According to a U.S. colleague, Toyota made a big mistake in its marketing plan by phasing out the 300-Series from the American lineup. The only cars that will be supplied are vehicles destined for armored vehicle production companies like Alpine Armoring in the Washington DC area. They will fit bulletproof glass, armor plating, and solid rubber tires to entry-level Land Cruisers for local customers needing the best on-road security.

Image Credits: Toyota Japan

Image Credits: Toyota Japan

As I pointed out above, the Land Cruiser is a prime target for car thieves in Japan and beyond. In fact, when I test drove the car in Japan last month, I was handed to rather surprising pieces of 20th century anti-theft devices—namely a tyre clamp and an anti-theft steering wheel bar. I’ve been test driving cars in Japan for over 30 years and I have never been asked by a manufacturer to fit these very analog clunky devices to a hi-tech vehicle. That of course is not saying that Toyota has not done everything it can to prevent theft. To (try to) counter those with light fingers, Toyota designers have fitted a first for the Land Cruiser—a fingerprint recognition ignition switch as well as other reinforced anti-theft capabilities. Before you can drive the new model, you have to ‘register’ your fingerprint on the starter button and position the key fob next to the starter switch just to be able to start the engine. To be honest, it felt eery having to use the latest theft prevention technology alongside a tyre clamp and a steering wheel bar.

In addition to this state-of-the-art anti-theft device, the car also gets the latest in safety features. Fitted with adaptive cruise control as standard equipment, the 300-Series also gets a blind spot monitor and lane keeping functions of the Toyota Safety Sense system but also employs an upgraded safety kit including pedestrian and cyclist detection and emergency braking.

For those who might be considering a Land Cruiser but think it looks too conservative when compared to the G-Class and Defender, Toyota has also announced a ‘GR’ version. Yes, that translates as a sporty high-performance model specially built by Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s in-house motorsport and customizing arm. They’re the same people who conceived the GR Yaris, GR Supra, and GR86. But don’t get too excited that you’ll be able to compete in the grueling Dakar Rally. The GR Land Cruiser is more like a dressed up version kind of like Audi’s S Line series of vehicles that offer visual upgrades.

Image Credits: Toyota Japan

Pricing and Options

The new Land Cruiser 300-Series comes with a choice of either diesel V6 twin turbo or gasoline V6 twin turbo engines, both mated to 10-speed automatic transmissions. Customers also get a choice of five or seven seats and a sporty GR version as well. The diesel version starts at 7.6 million yen (@$66,580) while the gasoline model starts at 7.3 million yen ($63,900). But given that deliveries will be delayed indefinitely due to parts supply issues, we can expect some premium prices to be paid as people try just about anything to grab one of these hugely popular models. Just as long as they don’t try to pinch one, says Toyota.

Image Credits: Toyota Japan

Image Credits: Toyota Japan

The post 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser Review first appeared on Yanko Design.

This LEGO Toyota Supra master build made from 477,303 bricks can be driven at 17mph!

Posted on by

A full-scale LEGO version of the Toyota GR Supra that replicates the intricate design details of the real Japanese sports car both on the outside and inside as well.

The iconic Toyota GR Supra (earlier known as Celica Supra) celebrates its 35-anniversary this year and LEGO Japan, LEGOLAND Japan and Toyota Gazoo Racing have put together a life-size replica of the sports car that’ll make your jaws drop. The LEGO version is slightly wider than the original GR Supra, weights much more (4,156 pounds) – and is, for the most part, made entirely out of LEGO bricks which is incredible if you are a LEGO fan.

Surprisingly this pixelated version of the GR Supra can actually drive thanks to its electric drivetrain – of course not as fast as the real thing though. It maxes out at a speed of 17 mph, and that in itself is an achievement for the creative builders who spend almost 30,000 hours of development and 2,400 hours putting it together. A mind-boggling 477,303 LEGO bricks were used in the making of this Supra, and it even has working lights and a yellow paint job to awe-struck anyone who lays their eyes on this one.

The only bits that are not LEGO bricks in this 1:1 version are the wheels, driver seat, steering wheel, gauge cluster and the badging. All of these were salvaged out from the real GR Supra. The LEGO version even gets a mini toy driver wearing the Toyota race suit and a helmet to complete the look.

The lifesize LEGO GR Supra will be on display at LEGOLAND Japan until October 11, so if you are a fan of this Japanese sports car, seeing this LEGO car is a bucket list essential. I can’t help but appreciate the amount of detail being put into this LEGO creation, and to end up with a car that actually looks like a striking replica of the real one is a commendable achievement.

Designer: LEGO

Tokyo 2021 Olympics gets a new showstopper – a basketball playing Japanese robot who made a flawless half-court shot!

Posted on by




At the ongoing Tokyo 2021 Olympics, world-class athletes are showcasing their talent, but a robot stole all the limelight during a basketball game between the U.S. and France. Demonstrating the early stages of the machine-dominated dystopian future, the seven-foot robot developed by Toyota engineers scored a perfect three-pointer and half-court shot. The eerily designed robot took to the center stage at halftime break during Sunday’s showdown game that France won by 89-79.  The Toyota engineers have created this free throw shooting robot in their free time over the last couple of years – and at the game – the smart machine beat human players shot for shot. It perfectly landed an easy free throw, a three-pointer, and a flawless half-court shot (just like Stephen Curry) in tandem to wow the crowd!

The robot has a very peculiar bumpy surface, Kawhi Leonard-like big hands, iRobot-like head shape, and moves on two wheels to position itself for the shots. By the look of things, this basketball shooting automaton looks to be the CUE4, the updated version of the CUE3 that set the Guinness world record in 2019. The robot uses sensors on the torso and a camera eye positioned somewhere around the nose to judge the distance of the shot and basket angle. Then the motorized arms and knees flex to make the shot perfectly. However, it is not as advanced to overshadow professional basketball players like Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Sue Bird, or A’ja Wilson in a full game. It moves too slowly and the motion is also not that swift. A Toyota engineer said back in 2019 that it will take almost two decades to acquire skills like running or dunking for such robots!

In a free throw duel, this robot is unbeatable since it is consistent day-in and day-out as compared to human counterparts who are vulnerable to mistakes. The robot is designed in a way to repeat the same action with perfect accuracy owning to its AI software and it doesn’t have to deal with its own monsters – things like metal pressure and stress of a big game. Perhaps, Toyota can take design inspiration from Boston Dynamics who have developed some amazing life-like robots like Spot the dog robot and Atlas who made our jaws drop with their dance moved for the New Year’s celebrations.

If this basketball shooting robot can acquire the intelligence and agility of pro basketball players, Mark Cuban would be eyeing to get this basketball robot in his Dallas Mavericks team!

Designer: Toyota

Toyota’s overlanding trailer pairs perfectly with a pickup/SUV and gets you wilderness adventure ready!

Posted on by

Overloading has picked up immensely in this past one year in the US and of course in other locations as well. There is a growing trend because it provides a personalized adventure to people unable to partake traditional vacations due to these challenging times. This fusion of camping and off-roading cannot live up to the true spirit of adventure and self-reliance until you have a good camper along. Presenting a viable option, Toyota – backed by its solid off-road credentials – has unveiled the TRD-Sport Trailer which can haul behind an SUV or pickup truck carrying all the essential gear you may deem important in the wilderness.

Built on the Tacoma bed by Marty Schwerter and his team at Motorsports Garage, the modern overloading TRD-Sport Trailer is going to capture the imagination of enthusiastic adventurers. It is every creative Overlanding explorer’s delight for the smoothness and fineness with which this rugged camper trailer can reach a remote location and setup into a residence for the travelers instantly. Making the best use of all the possible nooks and corners of the available space, Toyota has managed a travel trailer that can be home away from home complete with a slide-out cooling stove, and sink with running water, a refrigerator, a camping toilet, mobile shower with a curtain separation. The trailer has its own running hot water supply from a 16-gallon freshwater tank, and also features a 15-gallon grey water tank.

Interestingly, the TRD-Sport Trailer features a scissor-lift that lifts up several feet to separate the tent platform from the trailer bed, so you can perch higher up amid the trees if you like. You can pitch the provided Yakima four-person tent and spread out an awning on fly fishing poles for additional floor space around the trailer. When fully deployed, the trailer creates a campsite with enough room for up to four people. The entire area can be illuminated by LED lights, which the power needs are optimized by a generator and an Optima Yellow Top battery on board.

For the more adventurous, the TRD-Sport Trailer that rides on TRD-Pro wheels with General Grabber X3 tires also comes equipped with outdoor gear like “fishing poles, nets; waders and wading boots; cookware, coffee mugs and more. Having this rigged trailer on the back of their vehicles will give enthusiasts peace of mind and convenience to extend their adventures in comfort.

Designer: Toyota

Toyota’s Lunar Lander design for JAXA shares the Land Cruiser’s motto of coming back alive!

Posted on by

While most automakers are designing electric vehicles for the Earth, Toyota is taking it to the next level by designing vehicles for lunar exploration missions! The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA – basically the Japanese Nasa) and Toyota have been working together to develop a manned, pressurized vehicle for exploring the moon using the power of next-generation hydrogen fuel cells. The lunar vehicle is called ‘Lunar Cruiser’ after Toyota’s famously rugged Land Cruiser and it fits perfectly because the Land Cruiser’s motto is ‘come back alive’ which I am sure will be the motto for the Lunar Cruiser as well!

The vehicle is 20 feet tall and 17 feet wide, it is considered to be the first step in the vision of a future lunar surface-based society as JAXA will use the Lunar Cruiser to explore the moon’s north and south poles. The longest time an astronaut has stayed on the moon has been close to 3 days, but this vehicle is crafted for a 6 week-long manned mission which will be a record in itself. To sustain astronauts and the exploration for six weeks, the Lunar Cruiser will be fitted with solar panels as well as hydrogen fuel cells. Since days and nights on the moon last for two weeks each, the solar panels will generate electricity. Given the long nights, the hydrogen fuel cell can also use water from the electricity generation process for cooling and drinking purposes. The energy generated from the solar panels will be stored and the propulsion will come primarily from hydrogen fuel cells – it is geared to run for 620 miles with one full tank and the mission aims to complete 6,200 miles in 42 days.

Lunar Cruiser is roughly the size of two minibusses and has a 140 square feet living space for two astronauts. It has to be designed to traverse the moon’s harsh surface and be safe enough for the astronauts to remove their suits inside. Since development began in 2019, engineers have relied on simulations to work out powertrain heat management in an airless environment and test tire designs for the coarse, sharp,  dusty moon surface. And like a Tesla, it will have automatic driving functions! Testing of the prototype rover’s sub-assemblies is planned to begin next spring and will lead to the construction of a full-scale mule in 2022. So by 2024, we can hope to see a model designed, built, and evaluated for the development team to build the flight model—the one that’ll actually shoot for the stars…and land on the moon.

Designer: Toyota

Toyota’s new home-assist robots include a butler who will do the dishes for you!

Posted on by

Toyota’s Gantry robot is a real superhero for the elderly, but instead of fighting local crimes, he does house chores for them. Designed for the aging demographic that is often forgotten when it comes to technological advancements, this robot will take care of the domestic duties while sometimes hanging from the ceiling! People over the age of 65 make up for the world’s fastest-growing age group and we need more resources to give them the aid they require.

Speaking about the capabilities of robots, Russ Tedrake of Toyota Research Institue (TRI) says “Unlike the sterile, controlled and programmable environment of the factory, the home is a ‘wild west’ – unstructured and diverse. Despite recent strides in artificial intelligence and machine learning, it is still very hard to engineer a system that can deal with the complexity of a home environment and guarantee that it will (almost) work correctly.” The gantry robot is one of the prototypes being tested in mock-up home environments built-in labs in California. It is able to complete tasks like cleaning and loading the dishwasher. The design of the robot was inspired by the layout of Japanese homes, where researchers found that limited floor space would constrain a robot’s ability to help, and thus the solution would be to have robots directly integrated into the architecture for future homes. “What if instead of needing a robot to navigate the cluttered floor, it could travel on the ceiling instead, and be tucked out of the way when it’s not needed?” said Dan Helmick, co-lead of robotics fleet learning at the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), during a virtual presentation. While it is a huge undertaking to construct new robot-assisted homes from scratch and will have many hurdles, the design has the potential to solve many problems faced by the old folk who live alone.

The dishwashing robot is basically a giant robotic arm which shows new technology instead of being ready for commercial use, someone even pointed out that it looks better suited to build cars than load dishes but there is a long way to go before this product hits the market and there will be many changes made to it before it is ready for sale. This is a full series of robots designed to help senior citizens manage housework and the gantry robot is just one of them. There is another “soft bubble gripper” robot that uses air-filled cushions to gently grab a variety of objects, and a floor-based mobile robot with the same basic capabilities as hanging robot friend. All robots are being trained using virtual reality – real people are performing actions like wiping down a tabletop and then using VR controllers these movements are programmed into the robots.

“The robots that you see today are prototypes to accelerate our research, but they are not going to be turned into products any time soon,”  says Max Bajrachary, TRI’s VP of Robotics. Robotics is generally a difficult field and creating robots for household tasks is challenging mainly because every house is so different and therefore the smarter option would be to construct robot-friendly houses with tracks where the residents have the option of installing the gantry robot if needed. Robots can take over my world if they take over my dirty dishes!

Designer: Toyota Research Institute