2008 Toyota Land Cruiser Price Hike
Posed by Edmunds
TORRANCE, Calif. — In an era when Detroit automakers are rethinking their SUV strategy and scrambling to offer incentives on gas guzzlers, leave it to Toyota to take the exact opposite approach. The Japanese automaker took the wraps off its 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser at the Sydney auto show this week, showing off a stretched behemoth with a more aggressive face, 10 airbags, a new 381-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 engine, and a breathtaking price.
The 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser will start at $63,885, including a $685 destination charge, when it goes on sale in the U.S. in mid-October. The 2007 Toyota Land Cruiser, equipped with a 265-hp 4.7-liter V8, started at $56,860, including a $645 destination charge.
One unanswered question is just how thirsty the new Land Cruiser will be. The EPA has not yet released official 2008 ratings on the redesigned Land Cruiser. The EPA Web site says the 2007 model returns 13 mpg in city driving and 17 mpg on the highway; it also lists the estimated new EPA mileage at 12 mpg in city driving and 15 mpg on the highway, although it is not clear whether this refers to the 2008 model.
The 2008 Land Cruiser's 5.7-liter V8 — shared with the full-size Toyota Tundra pickup — delivers 401 pound-feet of torque and now has a towing capacity of 8,500 pounds, an increase of 2,000 pounds over the outgoing model. The seventh-generation Land Cruiser gets a "Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System," which Toyota says improves its ride and off-road capability. There's also a new high-mount double-wishbone independent front suspension and four-link rear suspension with a solid live axle. The front suspension adds tubular gas-pressure shock absorbers, a hollow stabilizer bar and coil springs.
All models get what Toyota says is the world's first "crawl control" system, which automatically controls the engine and brakes at a low speed when driving on surfaces such as rocks, sand or steep hills. Three speed settings can be selected by the driver. Toyota says the system "allows the driver to focus on steering and is also effective at helping the driver get the vehicle out when it becomes stuck."
The new Land Cruiser's 10 airbags are the most found in any Toyota, the automaker notes. Other standard features include a JBL premium audio system with an in-dash six-CD/DVD changer and 14 speakers, Smart Key keyless entry, an anti-theft security system, push-button start and cruise control.
What this means to you: Toyota adds lots of muscle and high-tech features to its flagship SUV — but be prepared to shell out a lot of cash if you want one.
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Print | posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 2:44 PM