First-time Toyota Land Cruiser 300 hybrid officially priced

First hybrid Land Cruiser 300 has finally been priced in South Africa. Note: European-spec model depicted. Picture: Toyota Europe Toyota has quietly revealed the pricing of the sixth and final model shown at its annual State of the Motoring conference in February, the first-ever hybrid Land Cruiser 300.

Detailed on the brand’s website, the officially named Land Cruiser 300 HEV becomes the range’s new flagship, but unlike its upmarket sibling, the Lexus LX, doesn’t replace the conventional petrol engine. Instead, it slots in above the latter and the carryover 3.3-litre turbodiesel V6, albeit in range-topping ZX trim guise only. Shown at the State of the Motoring Industry after itsworld unveiling as an Middle East marketonly model last year, the HEV combines the V35A-FTS 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine from the normal petrol Land Cruiser 300 with a single electric motor and battery pack.

The result is a combined 341kW/790Nm, the same as in theLexus LX 700h, and with respective uptakes of 36kW/140Nm and 140kW/90Nm over the normal petrol and diesel. As before, drive is routed to all four wheels but through a hybrid specific version of the 10-speed automatic gearbox. The combined fuel consumption is 10 L/100km, a claimed 1.6 L/100km improvement over the non-hybrid V6, while the top speed is unchanged at 210km/h.

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Despite its hybrid powertrain, Toyota still claims a tow rating of 3 500kg, but a reduced ground clearance of 234mm versus the petrol and diesel’s 240mm. Also smaller is the fuel tank at 98-litres versus 110-litres as a result of the electric hardware located underneath the rear seats. In accordance with the provided image on thebrand’s website, the Land Cruiser 300 HEV receives the same frontal redesign as the Middle East model to differentiate it from the regular petrol and diesel ZX. It therefore gets the same restyled bumper and grille, a black outer surround for the grille, a redesigned lower air intake, new fog light bezels, HEV badges and model specific 20-inch alloy wheels.

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