The refreshed 2016 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series gets diesel engine improvements, improved specification and slight price increases.

THE REFRESHED 2016 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series top-of-the-range Sahara via a new four-camera system will be able to see a 360-degree view of their car in real-time when parking or crawling along a rough track off-road.

Cleverly, the front camera is designed to rotate to keep the horizon level and provide drivers with an “intuitive understanding of the tilt angle of the vehicle”.

“An under-floor view, displaying images taken approximately 3m ahead of the vehicle, allows drivers to see an image that indicates where the front wheels are placed,” Toyota said in a statement.

In addition to its new camera system, the Sahara gets a pre-collision system, dynamic radar cruise control, lane-departure alert, and blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert. Standard across the LandCruiser range are seven airbags, vehicle stability and active traction control, multi-terrain anti-skid brakes, hill-start assist control, trailer sway control, an emergency brake signal and tilt/telescopic adjustments for the steering column.

Toyota’s boffins have tweaked the engines slightly to produce a little more power in the 4.5-litre V8 turbo-diesel, and when we say “a little” we mean it. This engine gets an additional 5kW to 200kW via new injectors and revised engine mapping, torque is stable at 650Nm while combined fuel consumption has been improved by 7.7% to 9.5L/100km. The 4.6-litre V8 petrol offers 227kW and 439Nm of torque with combined fuel consumption at 13.4L/100km.

The LandCruiser 200 Series line-up remains diesel-only GX, followed by petrol or diesel GXL, VX and Sahara, all mated to an electronically controlled six-speed automatic transmission.

As you can see from the photos, and no doubt saw from the numerous spy shots Practical Motoring ran, the new LandCruiser 200 Series gets a new look grille, head-lights, bumper, bonnet and fenders at the front and redesigned rear with LED tail-lights. Tweaks on the inside for variants above GX include soft padding around the centre console in areas that come in direct contact with occupants’ legs.

New-look head-lights are halogen on GX, projector on GXL with LED low and halogen high beams with static auto-levelling; and dusk-sensing Bi-LED for VX and Sahara with dynamic auto-levelling. The two higher grades also feature LED front fog lamps.

As the entry model to the range, GX also gains a 12-volt accessory socket in addition to its 17-inch steel wheels and snorkel. Its use as a workhorse is reflected in features that include vertically hinged rear door and vinyl floor covering.

New GXL features include roof rails, LED low-beam headlamps with auto-levelling (static), LED clearance lamps, leather-accented steering wheel and gear-shift knob, a revised analogue instrument cluster and variable intermittent wipers (front and rear), 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone front climate-control air-conditioning, a rear cooler, rear spoiler, aluminium side steps, a second 12-volt connector and a 220-volt rear connector, horizontal-split tailgate, smart entry and start, reversing camera, satellite navigation, privacy glass and body-coloured mirrors.

VX builds on GX with dusk-sensing bi-LED headlamps that incorporate dynamic auto-levelling. It gains side airbags for the outboard second-row seats as well as LED front fog lamps and daytime running lamps, newly designed Optitron instruments with a 4.2-inch colour multi-information display and a nine-inch touchscreen display (one inch bigger), leather-accented seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers and the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, front and rear parking sensors, power-retractable exterior mirrors, moon roof, black side steps and woodgrain-look interior highlights.

At the top of the range, Sahara gets a wireless smartphone charger and revised rear-seat entertainment with screens mounted on the back of the two front seats, power tailgate, heated electric side mirrors, multi-terrain monitor, a cool box, heated front and second-row seats, ventilated front seats and active headrests. Its electrically adjustable steering column has three memory positions that also incorporate seat and mirror positions.

Refreshed 2016 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series pricing: