Toyota released details on the Land Cruiser Heritage Edition some months ago, and now we know the price. It's a cool $87,645, which is up from the vehicle's $85,315 price (not including the $1,395 destination charge). The "newish" Land Cruiser gets some nice vintage touches, and there are some upgrades, but who is going to buy a more expensive version of an already overpriced luxury Toyota? We don't have an answer, either.
Despite the fact that the Heritage Edition gets some seriously cool retro-style "Toyota Land Cruiser" badging, a black grille, and fancy gold BBS wheels, the fact remains that the Land Cruiser just doesn't sell. Sure, the Land Cruiser is luxurious inside and can handle more off-road duties than you can probably throw at it, but Toyota only sells a couple hundred of them a month in the states. Just to give you an idea of its other models, the Highlander three-row SUV sells about 22K units a month, and the RAV4 is the best-selling passenger vehicle so far this year, to the tune of about 40K units per month.
Okay, so the Heritage Edition also deletes the third-row seats for additional cargo capacity, and there are dark chrome bits to set it apart from standard Land Cruisers. It also eschews the regular running boards and side moldings for more off-road clearance, and it adds skid plates for more protection from rocks, etc. But still, is anyone even going to buy the upgraded Land Cruiser? Not anyone who won't take it off-road, most likely. The same money can get you a Lexus LX 570, which is based on the Land Cruiser. At least people will notice you, whereas the Land Cruiser is a bit anonymous, even with gold wheels.
We're guessing if you like overlanding and off-roading with serious creature comforts, and you need real dependability, the Land Cruiser Heritage Edition might speak to you. It's just shy of the price of a Range Rover with about the same off-road capability, but it lacks the presence and luxury the Range Rover offers. Both boast V8 engines and rugged off-road prowess, but the interior of the Land Cruiser looks dated compared to the refined digs of the Range Rover.
What it does have on its side is its rugged capability, interior refinement, and space. It's one of the few big SUVs that still uses a powerful V8 engine. The Land Cruiser has a 5.7-liter V8 that's good for 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque. There's also a 2-speed transfer case and a locking center differential coupled to the all-wheel drive system, a multi-terrain response system, "Crawl" control, hydraulically adjustable anti-roll bars and a Multi-Terrain Monitor.
So, if it sells at all, it will appeal to those who are already committed to the idea of buying something that's different from pretty much everything else that's out there. It's too bad this special version comes late in the life of the Land Cruiser. Rumor has it that Toyota may bring a new one soon, but it may not get the V8 engine, so the Heritage Edition might just be the best way to get one of the last ones.
