The diesel engine is noisy when pushed, though, but the eight-speed gearbox (compared with a six-speed unit for the Hilux) has smooth shifts and helps to keep the engine within its power band, so it only really becomes an issue if you’re accelerating hard.
Town driving, visibility and parking
Around town, the Land Cruiser is slightly shorter than a Hilux, so it’s a bit easier to manoeuvre, although it is still nearly five metres long. Unlike the SUV, the Commercial doesn’t have 360-degree cameras, but front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera will help in tight spots, as does the light steering, which is surprisingly easy to turn from lock to lock.
One issue that we found with the Land Cruiser Commercial is the restricted visibility that the side window blanks offer. It’s no more pronounced than you’ll find in a panel van, but it does make it harder to check over your shoulder for obstacles.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
At higher speeds the Land Cruiser Commercial is just as capable as its SUV sibling. The ride is smooth, the engine settles to a distant hum once you’re up to the national limit and there isn’t much in the way of wind or road noise, either.
Off-road driving
With permanent four-wheel drive and low-range gears, the Land Cruiser Commercial is a capable off-road machine. An electronic diff lock is included to split power 50:50 between the front and rear axles, while there are hill-descent and uphill-start assist systems on offer, too.
