Toyota has updated its flagship SUV in Japan, and the biggest talking point is a change to the engine lineup: a gasoline-only option has been retired in favour of a hybrid powertrain, which Toyota positions as the more powerful choice in the range. Alongside that, buyers in Japan can now specify a bodykit from Modellista, Toyota's in-house styling division, which sharpens the look of the big wagon with revised bumpers, side skirts and wheel designs, plus matching cabin touches. The refresh also brings a batch of equipment and feature updates.
For Saudi shoppers, the Land Cruiser 300 needs little introduction. It sits at the very top of Toyota's SUV ladder and has long been the default choice for families, desert travellers and anyone who values durability and strong resale. Its natural rivals in showrooms here are the Nissan Patrol, the Lexus LX that shares much of its underpinnings, and large American alternatives such as the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Ford Expedition, with the Infiniti QX80 also in the mix.
The hybrid angle is the part worth watching. A hybrid 300 would promise better fuel economy in stop-start city driving, which is where a heavy body-on-frame SUV suffers most. The open question is how it behaves under sustained high-speed desert driving and towing, where buyers in this region expect effortless performance and simple, proven mechanicals.
The Modellista package, by contrast, is purely cosmetic. It changes presence on the road, not capability, and such kits are often market-specific — so there is no guarantee the Japanese configuration reaches Saudi dealers.
If you are considering one, the practical things to check are whether a hybrid variant is offered in GCC specification at all, what the warranty and service arrangements look like for the electrified hardware, and how residuals compare with the familiar gasoline version. Given
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to comment.