Just a couple of months ago, the world witnessed the debut of the first-ever Lexus LX 700h. Therefore, it was pretty much inevitable that the vehicle it shares its fundamentals with–the Toyota Land Cruiser 300–would also be electrified. Say hello to the first-ever Toyota Land Cruiser Hybrid, which made its global debut, of all places, in the Middle East.
As expected, the Land Cruiser Hybrid adopts the same hybrid drivetrain as the LX 700h. It combines a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 gasoline engine with an electric motor mounted together with the 10-speed automatic. This setup makes the Land Cruiser a parallel hybrid system. Combined, the system produces 457 horsepower and 790 Nm of torque. What it also inherits from the Lexus LX is its ability to still run in the event that the electrical components of the hybrid system get damaged.
But don’t go thinking that this is a fragile hybrid system. In fact, the hybrid system is extremely robust, being developed right at the heart of the Middle East. The nickel metal hydride battery is positioned high in the rear floor to maintain the same high water wading depth as the non-hybrid version.
The hybrid durability has been achieved through numerous redundancies. For instance, hybrids usually don’t have an engine starter or even an alternator, since these two components are fulfilled by the motor generator. A 12-volt battery is still present for auxiliary power, though, but the presence of the motor generator is exactly why you don’t hear a cranking noise with hybrids. In the case of the Toyota Land Cruiser Hybrid, it gets both the motor generator and the engine starter motor, just in case the hybrid system fails.
Furthermore, the Toyota Land Cruiser Hybrid can still be driven as is with the hybrid components disabled. Drivetrain features like the four-wheel drive (4WD) system, the locking differentials, and the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) electronic disconnecting swaybar, just to name a few, are still functioning as is. Speaking of which, the Land Cruiser Hybrid also gets Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS), along with a new electric power steering for improved feel and response.
Design-wise, the Toyota Land Cruiser Hybrid has minor alterations to highlight that this is the most powerful Land Cruiser to date. This includes design revisions to the front bumper, along with Toyota’s new HEV Beyond Zero badges. At least for the Middle East, the Land Cruiser Hybrid also gets 457TT badging to indicate its horsepower figure.
Moving inside, the new Land Cruiser Hybrid’s interior changes are more modest. All of the changes are focused on the tech, in which there’s a new 12.3-inch fully-digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system. It comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a 14-speaker JBL premium sound system. Finally, thanks to the presence of a hybrid system, this has enabled Toyota to fit the Land Cruiser Hybrid with a 1500-watt, AC inverter to power your camping gear and other electronics.
Will the Toyota Land Cruiser Hybrid come to the Philippines? Only time will tell, but considering how popular the Land Cruiser is in our market, it’s only a matter of when, not if, Toyota Motor Philippines offers this in our market.
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