Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial

Toyota have introduced a commercial version of the latest Land Cruiser & we spent an enjoyable week in one. Competition comes from the Land Rover Defender Commercial & Ineos Grenadier Commercial, as manufacturers tweak their models to offer more tax appeal.

Toyota have kept things simple with just one model variant of the Commercial which retails at £51,730 + vat.

It looks retro & ’Tonka Toy-ish’ which has to be a good thing with large chunky black clad wheel arches & an overall angle-less shape with plenty of straight lines. There’s nothing remotely sexy here just good old fashioned practicality.

What’s new ?

The new Land Cruiser Commercial incorporates a 48-volt-motor-generator system with three new components. An electric motor-generator, which replaces the conventional alternator, a 48V lithium-ion battery​ & a DC-DC converter which ​controls the energy flow, battery & motor​. The system has been designed to enhance engine performance & improve efficiency. ​

Economy

Combined WLTP is 26.6mpg with C02 emissions of 278g/km.

Warranty

As part of Toyota Professional the Land Cruiser Commercial is offered with up to a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty & up to 5-years roadside assistance. Plus a courtesy vehicle when your commercial is in for service or repair.

Practicality

An 80 litre fuel tank gives a range of over 400 miles & the Commercial will tow up to 3,500 kg. The rear loadspace offers up 2,000 litres & an 810kg payload, with a 12v socket in the boot. The cabin & load area are separated by a full height mesh-topped rear bulkhead with the opaque rear windows fitted with inner steel panels, all of which are added at Toyota HQ in Burnaston.

Safety

Being based on the Land Cruiser means plenty of safety equipment is included as standard. So you get Toyota Safety Sense with over the air updates, front & rear parking sensors, auto high beam, a blind spot monitor, Safe Exit Assist & active traction control. Turning stuff off is a bit of a faff with Driver Attention Warning giving us the most grief. We would love to see a simpler single screen swipe or button to do this rather than having to use the driver display menu’s & toggle through it using the steering wheel switches which is slow in the extreme. Forget to turn DAW off & you can’t do it whilst on the so will need to stop therein lies the faff.

Goodies

The Land Cruiser features a 7-inch colour multi-information display, 9-inch Toyota Touch 3 multimedia system with 6 speakers, dual-zone climate control, 18” alloys, a silver front grille & lower front grille protection with power-retractable door mirrors.

Driving

The Land Cruiser Commercial drives just like the five-seat model & is far easier to use than the Grenadier which is almost always hard work. Even in town the Commercial is easy to handle belying its 4,925mm length & 2,400kg weight. Light steering that’s well calibrated & a simple gear selection takes the thinking out of things.

In the cabin

There’s plenty of glass & you sit nice & high in the drivers seat so the road ahead & to the side is easy to view. Leave the city & head out onto the open road & the Commercial’s pretty good here too, with the long 2,850mm wheelbase, chunky 265/65R18 tyres & top-notch ladder frame suspension seeing it handle up’s, down’s & terrible tarmac with aplomb.

The 8-speed auto gearbox & engine are derived from a Hilux unit so you know it’s going to work & work well for a very long time. And also factor in a lively diesel roar when the revs increase.

Motorway

Our week included a trip to the south for four car launches so 400 miles of motorway driving. We had no complaints. The cabin is comfy as are the seats & in some truly terrible rain the Commercial feels nothing other than composed even at higher speeds. The on-board cruise control is simple to activate & is also well judged. The Toyota infotainment is easy to use & wireless CarPlay meant utilising Waze for those unexpected road hazards.

Economy

Even driving at a constant 65mph saw us return a 27.1 mpg average so we were happy with that only having to add £20’s worth of diesel for our trip home. Overall we travelled 513 miles using up a full tank & handing the Commercial back with 80 miles of range left.

Off road & driving modes

We didn’t venture off-road but fear not the Commercial will go there as it comes with permanent AWD, selectable drive modes, high & low range gearing, crawl control, hill start assist, downhill assist control & a wading depth of 700mm. Talking of the drive modes tech standard on-toad ones offered are efficient Eco, balanced Normal & Sport which offers sharper throttle response & a touch more fun. We tried all three & whilst there are subtle differences none are huge, so we spent a long motorway trip in Eco, drove locally in Normal & tried Sport on some local rural roads.

Pros

Built to last. Looks fantastic. Drives better than you’d expect. Decent equipment levels & comes with some decent practicality.

Cons

High emissions & distinctly average fuel economy are par for the course. Not as refined or car-like as a Land Rover Defender Commercial but is substantially cheaper to buy. Toyota’s driver safety is extensive but one of the hardest to alter.

Verdict

My brother in law bought a Corolla Commercial after we reviewed it & is enjoying 70mpg. I’d like to think he’d trade it in for a Land Cruiser Commercial which he’ll agree looks brilliant & will certainly do a job for his printing business. However, I fear the sub-30mpg might put him off. Importantly it won’t put everyone off especially if you need off-road capability. We loved it even if  economy isn’t its strongest suit.

I’m still smiling 4/5