Toyota Land Cruiser V8

A heavier and taller version than its popular relative the Toyota Camry, the Toyota Land Cruiser V8 (also known as highlander) has been given a strong show of support by its Japanese producer following the news that it will raise production and begin exports to Russia and Australia from the US.

In an announcement on February 8, Toyota said the rise in production would start from the end of next year as it plans to invest some US$400 million to bolster global demand for the Highlander (Toyota Land Cruiser V8), a 7-seater that has taken the American market by storm.

Toyota Land Cruiser pictured above.

Manufacturing switches to Princeton Indiana

Also, from the end of 2013, Toyota said it would cease manufacturing the Highlander in Japan and would instead switch this capacity to its Princeton, Indiana, plant. This move by the world’s largest automaker shows the confidence it has in the growth of the world’s largest car market, which has shown a strong appetite for the sporty mid-size crossover Land Cruiser V8 amid a resurgence of growth in the market.

Land Cruiser V8 - Sales Climb

This was shown in last year’s sales-for-sales of the Highlander, including the hybrid version, which climbed above the 100,000 units mark for the first time since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008. Although still some way short of the 137,000 Highlanders sold in the US in 2005, the best year the vehicle has enjoyed in the country, there is no doubt the model has recovered its sales volumes.

Land Cruiser V8 - additional extras

This comes as little surprise, as the Highlander, or the Kluger as it is known in Japan, is a major competitor within the mid-range of this segment of the 7-seater market. Following an update in 2010 for the 2011 model year, Toyota kept the 2.7-litre, four-cylinder engine for the base model, while other standard features were added to make it more competitive. These included front and rear air conditioning as standard, cruise control, power lock and multi-function keyless entry control.

Land Cruiser V8 - Safety

All vehicles in the Toyota Land Cruiser V8 product range come with enhanced Vehicle Stability Control, designed to prevent rolling by automatically altering electric power steering assist, anti-lock brakes, braking assist and electronic brakeforce distribution.

Other standard features include a tyre pressure monitor and a knee airbag on the driver’s side, along with side torso, seat mounted airbags and side curtain airbags on all three rows of seats. Downhill assist control is only standard on the all-wheel drive versions, but hill start assist comes with all models of the Highlander.

Land Cruiser V8 - Purchase Price

The Toyota Land Cruiser V8 does not come cheap, costing from £62,000 from new but then its standard features more than justify the price; this has been shown by its incredible popularity since it was first launched back in 2000. Of all Toyota’s SUVs, the Land Cruiser V8 was the best-selling before it was passed by the RAV4 back in 2006, a smaller vehicle (quite some feat for a 7-seater).

Land Cruiser V8 Flagship Vehicle

Following this overwhelming success over more than a decade, Toyota’s latest move to bring production of the Land Cruiser V8 to its core market and expand production and spending on pushing demand, clearly shows it is going to continue to be a flagship vehicle for some time yet.