Toyota reveals commercial versions of its popular Land Cruiser 4×4

Toyota is introducing commercial vehicle variants of its formidable Land Cruiser off-roader to the UK market for the first time.

The Utility Commercial model looks similar to the passenger vehicle versions, but smart alloy wheels have been replaced with more damage-proof steel wheels, while the rear seats have been removed to create a large cargo area.

The load space has been designed with practicality in mind, so it gets a hard-wearing, non-slip flat floor, while the front passengers are protected from heavy loads by a full-height metal bulkhead with a strong mesh at the top.

The contents of the rear bay are hidden from prying eyes as the rear windows have been replaced with panels that are the same colour as the bodywork.

Available in both short and long wheelbase versions, the load space is 1,574 litres in the former and 2,216 in the latter.

Toyota says it was keen to retain some of the comfort features of the standard car, so the front passengers get cloth-upholstered seats, air conditioning, cruise control and a six-speaker infotainment system with Bluetooth compatibility as standard.

Power comes from a 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine making 175bhp. Its four-wheel-drive system makes it an excellent off-roader, while economy figures of 38mpg and CO2 emissions of 194g/km should mean running costs remain low.

Gareth Matthews, manager of Toyota’s light commercial vehicles (LCV) division, said: “Bringing the exceptional strength of Land Cruiser to our LCV line-up adds a valuable new dimension to the range, alongside the rugged Hilux pick-up and versatile Proace medium-duty van.

“We are sure that the quality and performance that have made Land Cruiser such a strong performer worldwide will be sought after by customers who need a vehicle they can rely on to do the job every time.”

The Toyota Land Cruiser Utility Commercial is on sale now, priced from £27,546 for the short wheelbase model and £28,509 for the long wheelbase.