Saturday, Sep 16, 2006 at 06:56
found it,
fosss
Translation of Japanese Article
Toyota's next-generation Land Cruiser 130-series will be here shortly. As this is the company's top-of-the-range flagship 4x4 model, the new arrival has been a much-kept secret, but now information has been leaked and revealed.
As most of us should already know, the styling is going to be more aggressive and even more robust. Styling clues from the FTX concept vehicle (shown at the Detroit Auto Show) will heavily influence the new design. The Land Cruiser will also grow significantly in every dimension. The 4x4 is said to be longer, wider and sit lower. The height of the body will remain largely unchanged, but it is said that the SUV will sit lower than normal to give a more stable ride and brilliant on-road manners. This system is also a part of Gen-2 active height control and TEMS suspension system, which give the suspension even more travel for off-road usage.
The Land Cruiser 130-series will also be available with a new line-up of engines. There will be 4.5L V8 32v Twin Turbo D-4D common-rail diesel that develops 306hp and turns out almost a whopping 600nm of torque. This engine will replace the six-cylinder diesel available in the current Cruiser. The current gasoline engine will be replaced with a 5.0L V8 VVT-I that develops 335bhp. Torque figures are not yet confirmed for the gas engine, but should be similar to the diesel. To tune things down a bit Toyota is going to also give the 2007 Cruiser the same VVT-I 4.0L V6 240hp gasoline engine used in both the Prado and FJ Cruiser. The engines will also be mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a silky-smooth 6-speed Tiptronic gearbox borrowed from the Phaeton and Touareg. The Tiptronic box will be standard on diesel and V8 gasoline engines, and optional on the V6 model.
It has been rumored that Toyota is going to launch it 2007 LX550 in the US with a 5.5 liter V8 engine. This is not true! Toyota was going to introduce the new LX500 in the US, which has the same engine as the Land Cruiser 130. The last minute decision by Toyota Motor Company was that after 2007 they will discontinue the LX range from North America and sell the LX500 in Japan with a new Name: Cygnus 500 and the Land Cruiser will remain as the only Japanese-built full-sized SUV in the US.
A head spokesmen, Akio Lya, at Toyota Motor Company said, "This is a bold decision that Toyota and Lexus are taking but we just couldn't keep both of them together in North America. We have been forced to drop the LX as we are planning to create completely different designs for upcoming Toyota and Lexus models. Following the year 2007 the new Land Cruiser 130 will also be available in Japan in its twin Lexus form. The Japanese market is completely different from the US and Europe and having two virtually-identical models are acceptable. The Toyota brand is known globally and has built up such as strong reputation that the name Land Cruiser is a legend and will live on. The Land Cruiser offered to the North American Market is going to be more luxurious and so much more desirable to those customers. We at Toyota Motor Company have made the right decision and will offer the Lexus LX again 2009 with a different design and totally different looks, which will stand apart from the Land Cruiser range"
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