Refreshed Toyota Landcruiser Ditches Options to Make Everything Standard

Toyota is refreshing the Landcruiser in the US for 2013, and it seems not a moment too soon. A recent study found that Toyota sold just 1,662 of the luxury off-roaders in the US last year. Not only is the Landcruiser getting a slightly revised exterior, Toyota is forgoing all options on the next year's truck. Everything that had been an option in 2011 is standard in 2013. This include things like a rear-seat DVD system, heated rear seats and navigation with Bluetooth.

The 2013 Landcruiser has a slightly changed exterior that is changed mostly in the nose. HID low beam headlights are standard, and they now include LED daytime running lights. The mirrors and tail lights have also been changed. There are sump guards mounted under the front and rear to protect the oil pan and rear differential. Toyota says that they also minimize drag. 

The updated interior comes in either beige or black, perforated leather. Wood grain trim and chrome are used as accents throughout the cabin. The Landcruiser also has cameras located in the front, sides and rear. These cameras can be accessed from the cockpit to view the terrain while driving off-road. It seats eight in its three rows of seats. 

Power is the same as last year coming from a 5.7 liter V8 that produces 381hp and 401lb-ft of torque with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Landcruiser is built to be very capable both on and off road. It uses a system called Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System that adjusts the front and rear stabilizer bars. In cornering situations it keeps the Landcruiser flat through a corner, and off-road the system allows for more lean from the wheels to retain wheel contact with the ground.

New for this year is Multi-terrain Select that acts like a smart limited-slip differential. When the sytem is on loose ground like sand or snow, it allows for more slip from the wheels before activating the all-wheel drive system, but on other terrain it can lock the differential to maintain grip. 

Production for the new Landcruiser starts on January 6. The base price for the 2013 Landcruiser is $77,995 plus a delivery fee of $810. This is a price increase of 12.8% over 2011, but Toyota is including a significant amount more of standard features.