A leaked dealer bulletin from South Africa has given us our best look yet at what the 2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series range could look like in Australia.
We expect to see the 300 Series here in the first quarter of 2022, though in South Africa the bulletin says it start arriving at dealers in July 2021.
The redesigned, full-sized SUV will offer a choice of two engines initially.
A new 3.3-litre turbo-diesel V6 replaces the outgoing car’s twin-turbo diesel V8, and produces 225kW of power and 700Nm of torque.
That’s up 30kW and 50Nm over the current diesel.
A turbocharged 3.5-litre petrol V6 replaces the petrol V8 still offered in some markets, and produces 305kW of power and 650Nm of torque.
These outputs could be specific to the South African market, although they are within touching distance of what has previously been reported by various outlets.
Both are mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and have braked and unbraked towing capacities of 3500kg and 750kg, respectively.
Gross vehicle mass is 3230kg while gross combined mass is 6730kg, according to the dealer bulletin.
There are no details yet for the expected hybrid V6, which will reportedly launch in 2022.
All models also feature an aluminium roof to keep weight down.
There’ll be three trim levels in South Africa: base GX-R, luxurious ZX, and the new ‘halo’ GR-S. All will come with seven seats as standard.
Exterior dimensions vary, with the base GX-R measuring 4950mm long and 1980mm wide, the ZX measuring 4985mm long and 1980mm wide, and the GR-S measuring 4965mm long and 1990mm wide.
All models are 1945mm tall on a 2850mm wheelbase.
We don’t yet know what the trim level structure will look like in Australia, but let’s take a look at South Africa’s.
GX-R
The new base model will be available only with the turbo-diesel V6.
It’ll come standard with a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, replacing the 6.1-inch in the current GX.
Standard safety equipment includes autonomous emergency braking with daytime pedestrian and vehicle detection, as well as lane-departure warning and adaptive cruise control.
There’s a rear differential lock, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels and an electronic parking brake.
There’s no standard snorkel, though it picks up LED headlights and tail lights, keyless entry and start, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel over the outgoing base model.
ZX
Available with both petrol and diesel engines, the luxury-focused ZX is distinguished by its 20-inch alloy wheels, silver and chrome grille, and silver-finish exterior mirrors.
Inside, there’s wood and leather trim, while the touchscreen is upgraded to a 12.3-inch unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and the LED tail lights add sequential LED indicators.
Standard equipment includes a power tailgate with a kick sensor, head-up display, quad-zone climate control, and an 11.6-inch rear-seat entertainment system that’s wi-fi-enabled and doesn’t use a remote.
The ZX’s suite of active safety technology is upgraded considerably over the base GX-R.
Standard safety kit includes autonomous emergency braking with daytime and night-time vehicle and pedestrian detection and daytime cyclist detection.
There’s also lane-tracing assist, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive high-beam.
It uses a torque-sensing limited-slip differential and also adds a multi-terrain monitor and a surround-view camera. The rear camera also has a washer.
GR-S
The GR-S petrol and diesel serve as a ‘halo’ model for the LandCruiser line-up and feature extra off-road enhancements plus a unique exterior appearance.
It appears to be the one 300 Series variant of which exterior photos have yet to leak.
It steps down to 18-inch alloy wheels, while there are black mirrors and door handles, a unique grille and other exterior tweaks.
It adds front and rear differential locks plus Toyota’s Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS).
It loses the ZX’s rear-seat entertainment system, while its power tailgate lacks a kick sensor.
Unusually, though it replaces the ZX’s woodgrain trim with carbon fibre trim, the wheel is still said to be finished in woodgrain and leather albeit with a GR-S badge.
