SPORT STAR
IT’S been a long time coming; 14 years in fact since the launch of the 200 Series. Even after its eventual launch, Toyota’s 300 Series LandCruiser is still a hard vehicle to get in to. While semi-conductor shortages have delayed production and limited supply to customers, we’ve managed to nab an LC300 for a few days to test its off-road mettle.
As it is marketed as the more off-road focused model in the six-variant LC300 range, we’ve gone for the GR Sport, which, along with the range-topping Sahara ZX, is new to the nameplate. What makes the GR Sport the most off-road capable LandCruiser variant is the inclusion of front and rear locking differentials as standard, and the addition of E-KDSS which is the latest generation of Kinetic’s clever suspension system.
The killer is that the GR S is the only model to get this off-road hardware, and you can’t option factory lockers or KDSS in the lower-grade models.
The problem with the GR S is that, at $137,790, it’s the second most expensive model in the range, only beaten by the Sahara ZX which adds another $1000 to the base price.
The GR S comes with the equipment levels to match that price, but all that kit adds weight, meaning the GR S has the lowest payload in the range with 650kg available.
POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
UNDER the Cruiser’s new aluminium bonnet is an all-new 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel engine. The V8 is gone, but
