300 SAHARA 300 SAHARA
POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
ALL Landcruiser 300s are powered by a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel engine that makes 700Nm of torque and 227kw of power, so it has higher outputs than the old V8 diesel engine.
An interesting thing about the design of this engine is that it is a ‘HotV’ design. This means that the exhaust manifolds and the turbochargers are mounted in the V between the cylinder heads, and the intake manifolds are on the outside of the engine. This helps to make the engine more compact and puts the turbochargers closer to the exhausts ports to reduce lag.
With all that heat now at the top of the engine, Toyota has had to do away with the top-mounted intercooler as used on previous Landcruisers and moved them up behind the grilles under the headlights. I say them, as there are two of them and they are now fluid-to-air design, so they should be more efficient. Anyone travelling in regional areas will want a decent bullbar to protect the coolers from frontal impact. More often than not, it’s the corners of the front bumper that cop a ’roo and that’s exactly where the intercoolers are mounted, just like in the new Defender.
The 90-degree V6 engine is a smooth and torquey performer that feels to get on with the job much more swiftly than the old 1VD V8. It’s quiet and punchy and works seamlessly with the new 10-speed automatic, which is the only transmission offered in the 300. Previous testing has shown it to be a capable towing powertrain with a 3000kg dual-axle trailer hitched behind the Cruiser.
ON-ROAD RIDE & HANDLING
THE LC300 retains the same suspension format from previous Landcruiser models of an IFS and live rear axle, both riding on coil springs, but it has been heavily revised. There’s no fancy height adjustment or trickery to it, however the Sahara does have variable dampeners for comfort and sport settings.
In the traditional Landcruiser way, the suspension is soft and supple to deliver a smooth and comfortable ride, but it gets a bit wild and wallowy when pushed hard on tight roads or tracks. The sport setting on the dampeners does address this a bit, but it’s never as composed as the Patrol on such roads.
OFF-ROAD
IT wouldn’t be a Landcruiser if it didn’t excel off-road, and the LC300 has again raised the bar in this regard. Specifically in its electronics, with the best-calibrated traction control system we have ever driven. The L663 Defender has held that honour for the last 12 months or so, but the LC300 has taken the title.
Once again, we were impressed by the calibration and fast-acting nature of the electronic traction control (ETC) and amazed by how smoothly and effectively the Crawl Control system operates.
The Cruiser smoothly and effortlessly crawled its way up our rutted hill climb on this test and has surprised us on some rocky climbs in other recent tests. Only the centre differential is lockable, as the Sahara relies on its electronics and relatively good wheel travel.
The LC300 GR Sport is the only model available with factory front and rear lockers.
CABIN & ACCOMMODATION
THE inside of the 300 instantly feels like a Landcruiser, so LC200 owners should be comfortable in there. It’s big and plush and should be perfectly suitable for long road trips with the family. The new dashboard has a massive configurable AV screen and the system now includes Carplay and Android auto.
The centre stack is busy with buttons and they take a bit of getting familiar with. We found that in some light, the silver buttons glare back in to the driver’s or passenger’s face when you look at them.
The lower seating position in the 300 compared to the 200 is appreciated by taller folks, as it puts the driver in a better position and gives a better view of the surroundings through a lower window line. Of course, the seat can be raised if needed and the steering column is power adjustable for both reach and height.
Seats in this Sahara model are leathertrimmed and power adjustable, and both the front- and second-row seats offer heating and cooling functions. Of the six LC300 grades, only the GXL, VX and Sahara models are offered with third-row seating for two passengers. These seats now fold flat in to the floor as opposed to up and to the sides like they did in the 200, and in this Sahara they fold electronically. The third-row seats are big enough for adults on short trips, if they can squeeze their way in to the back, but are best suited to smaller people.
With the third row up and in position, there is very little space left behind it for cargo, and this is somewhere that the Patrol has a big advantage.
PRACTICALITIES
THE fuel capacity has dropped from 138 litres in the LC200 to 110 in the 300, with 80 in the main tank and 30 litres in the sub-tank. It’s still substantial by modern standards, but every litre counts when you’re logging up the highway miles in a big wagon. It’s another area where the Nissan takes a win with its 140-litre tank.
The Sahara offers plenty of interior space for both passengers and cargo; although, as mentioned, very little luggage space if you are using all the seats.
The Sahara wears 265/65R18 tyres which are becoming a more common size, so there should be plenty of options for more durable rubber than the standard highway tyres. Lower grades are fitted with 17s, so you should be able to opt to smaller wheels with taller sidewall tyres if desired; while the top of the range Sahara ZX wears 20-inch rims with lowprofile tyres.
Toyota has a large range of genuine accessories for the 300, including steel or aluminium bullbars, nudge bars, an LED light bar, roof racks, a Warn winch, underbody protection, rated front recovery points, a rear recovery hitch, and a raised air-intake snorkel which is standard on the GX model. As with all Landcruisers in the past, the aftermarket will soon offer plenty of accessory options for your LC300 to tailor it in any direction you like.
With a 3500kg tow rating and 650kg of payload, the Cruiser is built to haul, but owners of heavily equipped 300s will still need to be wary of GVM.