The Benchmark

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

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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