Wherever you go in the world – no matter how remote – there are two vehicles you’re likely to see; the old Land Rover Defender, and Toyota’s Land Cruiser. They get everywhere.
Both earned their spurs with the military worldwide on account of their legendary toughness and their incredible mountain goat-like ability, which also endears them to farmers, gamekeepers, forestry workers and so on. But while the old Defender is retired and no longer in production (although it’s just been replaced by a sizzling new model), the Land Cruiser plods on.
The latest model, the Invincible, has also found a niche with growing families on account of its size – it really does look pretty huge – and the fact that, usefully, it’s a genuine seven-seater. The rear-most two seats are stowed flat on the floor (unfortunately stealing quite a bit of space in the loading area) but can easily be raised, providing useful transport for family – or kayaking – parties or similar.
Its off-road credentials are strong. The Land Cruiser has a deserved reputation for being ‘unbreakable’ and its four- wheel-drive system along with its ground clearance means it finds grip where many other SUVs simply can’t. It’s ruggedly built, too. The cabin also feels pretty indestructible (even for messy families), so it’s a car you don’t have to cosset.
The cabin is spacious (and high up, giving a nice view over the road) and there’s plenty of stowage in doors and in the centre console. And no matter how many people you load in – we trialled it on a post-lockdown family trip from London to a rental cottage deep in Exmoor complete with tons of luggage, children, friends and a dog – it shrugs off the extra weight with aplomb, thanks to its accomplished chassis and big, powerful 2,775cc diesel engine, working through a 6-speed automatic transmission.
But all that space, technology and capability do come at a price. Not only does the Invincible cost £54,645, there’s a penalty to pay in terms of ageing, too.
Compared with many of its more modern rivals – for instance Volvo’s XC90 or Audi’s Q7/Q8 – it looks and feels old-fashioned. Instrumentation and switchgear in the cabin looks as though it’s from another era, and few other SUVs still have a mere six-speed auto gearbox, opting for seven or eight gears instead.
The ride, while firm, which is useful in long sweeping bends, does not have the suppleness that most SUV owners have come to expect, nor – despite that workhorse of an engine – does it have the turn of speed of many rivals, even though it’s an excellent cruiser on long journeys out west.
For London families who also travel out into the sticks, who want to ford rivers but also arrive at family gatherings in the capital the Land Cruiser is both smart and classless – by which I don’t mean it has no class, rather than it transcends social barriers, rather in the way the ubiquitous VW Golf also does. It’s driven by all sorts – and will probably continue to delight well-travelled families despite its foibles.
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And it made it down the long, rough-hewn track to the remote rental cottage – while carrying a ton of holiday equipment – like a mountain goat.
Familiar with its impressive off-road credentials, I nevertheless chickened out of ‘wading’ it across my favourite river crossing in Exmoor, following heavy rain which made the river impressively deep, fast-flowing and turbulent. Some things are best not left to chance – even in a Land Cruiser.
Details: Toyota Land Cruiser Invincible
Price: £54,645
Top speed: 108 mph
0-62 mph: 12.7 secs
Max power: 174 bhp
Max torque: 450 Nm
Emissions: 194 g/km
Fuel consumption: 27.39 – 30.17 mpg
Length: 4,840mm
Width: 1,885mm