The Benchmark

THE 200 EMBODIES TOYOTA’S DESIGN PHILOSOPHY THAT CHAMPIONS SIMPLICITY AND DURABILITY OVER TECHNICAL SOPHISTICATION.

IT IS ALMOST 10 years since the 200 Series arrived in Australia to replace the 100 Series. Over those 10 years the 200 has changed little, save for the introduction of the workspec GX diesel in 2011, a new-generation V8 petrol engine in 2012, and the late-2015 styling, equipment and emission upgrade that led to its recent sales explosion.

The Land Cruiser is the oldest design here and certainly the most ‘old-school’ in 4x4 terms. The Patrol also has a separate chassis, but the 200 is the only vehicle here with a truck (or live) axle at the rear. And, apart from its KDSS suspension – effectively swaybars that can automatically tension up for on-road use and then de-tension for off-road use (see Kinetic Twist, opposite page) – there’s nowhere near the suspension trickery that you’ll find under the Patrol or the Discovery.

What we are driving is the top-spec Sahara, at $120K plus on roads it’s the most expensive vehicle here. The Sahara wasn’t our first choice – we would have preferred a GXL for better price parity – but the Sahara is still essentially the same mechanical package, except that KDSS is standard on Sahara and an extra-cost ($3250) option on the GXL.

POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE

DESPITE gaining piezo injectors and a particulate filter as part of the late-2015 Euro 5 emission compliance, the 200’s 4.5-litre V8 diesel is relatively low-tech and under-stressed compared to most modern diesel engines. The V6 in the Discovery, for example, makes similar power and torque despite being only two-thirds the capacity. The 200’s engine is effectively a twin-turbo version of the V8 used in the various 70 Series Land Cruisers; although, the twin-turbo system is a relatively simple parallel arrangement where one turbo serves each bank of four cylinders.

While quieter than it was before the Euro-5 compliant injection system arrived in late 2015, the 200’s V8 oiler is still noisy and gruff compared to the Discovery’s diesel, let alone the very refined petrol engine in the Patrol. In this company it sounds and feels ‘truck-like’, and while comparisons to the Patrol’s petrol V8 may be unfair, even the Discovery tips it for performance and is in a different league refinement wise. Still, for all that, the 200’s engine is effortless and rarely has to work hard to get the job done.

ON-ROAD RIDE AND HANDLING

THE 200 feels heavy on the road in this company, even though the Patrol weighs more. The 200’s steering is certainly the heaviest here, yet doesn’t particularly reward with feel – try to push the 200 down a winding road briskly and it’s the one that will protest the most. Drive it fast and hard on a rough back road and you’ll also feel the