The Japanese automaker stepped up its game when it introduced the 2007 Land Cruiser, which was no longer just a capable offroad-er but also a luxurious vehicle.
While heavy is not good on an offroad trial, big is appreciated on luxurious vehicles. Toyota noticed that SUVs were trending and produced the 200 series of the Land Cruiser with deep-pockets customers in mind. Moreover, it even went over the edge and offered this behemoth with a V8 turbo-diesel powerplant for those who liked to spend more for a vehicle while saving some pennies for refueling it.
Its massive front fascia was clearly in a different league than the rest of the Land Cruiser series. Its broad grille with chromed horizontal slats created a powerful image for the vehicle. In addition, the swept-back headlights were tall enough to cover the entire area between the hood and the bumper. From its profile, the four-door bodywork was the only option and was granted with an additional set of windows behind the rear doors.
Inside, there was plenty of room for up to seven passengers since the automaker installed a pair of jump seats in the trunk area. At the front, Toyota installed a wide center console, which was more of an extension of the center stack that dominated the dashboard's design. An integrated infotainment system was placed atop it, providing the driver with additional information taken from the onboard computer or from the navigation system.
Under the hood, Toyota installed a choice of two V8 engines: one with gasoline available worldwide and a turbo-diesel for selected markets. Both were paired with an automatic transmission that sent the power in all corners via a two-speed transfer box.
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