What engines were installed on the Toyota Land Cruiser

Legendary cars originated decades ago. Wartime, the need for reliable technology, the demand for cars that can go anywhere - all this led to the fact that the Japanese concern decided to bring to life a bold idea. This is how the Toyota Land Cruiser appeared, which has been a popular SUV since 1954, and today also personifies the status of the owner. The latest iterations of this vehicle have become off-road icons that hundreds of other automakers can't match.

Military Origins – Toyota BJ for the Korean War

Toyota BJ The history of the SUV began in 1953, when the Japanese company began producing the Toyota BJ - the first SUV in the history of the concern.
A year later it was renamed Land Cruiser. The name change was partly a echo of the British Land Rover. Land Cruiser engines were not very diverse at first. The first SUV from the Japanese was powered by a 3.4-liter engine capable of producing 98 horsepower. Of course, not much, but for that time it was a real breakthrough. In addition, this was the first time a six-cylinder engine was used in a passenger car. Production continued until 1960.

Land Cruiser 40 – the most mature

Land Cruiser 55

In several modifications, this car lasted on the Japanese assembly line for 26 years. From 1960 to 1984, the model changed the index 40 to 55 and 60, but practically nothing changed functionally in the car. The same gasoline engine has been improved and optimized. In the 40 series of the SUV it already produced 125 horsepower, and in the 55 and 60 series – 130.

The endurance and unpretentiousness of the military engine gave rise to a disadvantage that began to matter more and more - the unit consumed too much fuel. It became clear that Toyota Land Cruiser engines require updates. Therefore, in 1970, Toyota management decided to introduce a diesel engine into the line of power units. The 3-liter 4-cylinder unit installed on the Toyota Land Cruiser BJ40 became the world's first diesel engine in a civilian passenger car. This Japanese innovation changed the course of automotive history.

Heavyweight Prado appears in the ring

Land Cruiser Prado

As a result of four years of hard work with the modernization of power units, the company did not carry out any special model updates.
The Land Cruiser FJ 62, which was released in 1985, can be considered a transitional model. It tested the now popular Toyota Land Cruiser engines. Finally, there was an improvement in the 3F petrol unit (and 3F-E for the automatic transmission). He gained 4 liters of volume, reduced fuel consumption, and also lost a fair amount of weight. 145 horsepower became a power record for the concern at that time .
The 4.2 liter 2F engine was less powerful - 140 horsepower. The company's diesel history developed in a powerful parallel stream. Produced in 1982, the 2H engine had 6 cylinders and 4 liters of displacement. It was actively used throughout the entire model range of the early 80s. In 1985 it was turbocharged and increased power to 135 horsepower. The crowning achievement of this unit was the first Prado model, released in 1987. Electronic control was added to the power unit and a new index was assigned - 2H-E. Also, the Land Cruiser was equipped with a 4-liter 12H-T diesel unit, which accommodated 20 more horses. There was also a less powerful 3B unit with 98 horsepower and a volume of only 3.4 liters.

Toyota Land Cruiser 100 4.2 MT (131 hp) 4×4

This year, Toyota celebrates its anniversary - 50 years since the start of production of the car, which can be considered the founder of the dynasty of the most popular Land Cruiser SUVs around the world.

This year, Toyota celebrates its anniversary - 50 years since the start of production of the car, which can be considered the founder of the dynasty of the most popular Land Cruiser SUVs around the world. A special edition of the car, the Anniversary Land Cruiser, was released for the holiday. It would be nice to give the company a gift - to take this car for a test, but where can you get it? The circulation is very limited. Therefore, we were content with the “regular” Land Cruiser 100... The Land Cruiser 100 is the largest SUV in the Toyota range. Depending on the market and configuration, it is also known as “500”, Amazon and Lexus LS470. The world debut of the current (fifth) generation of the Sotka took place in 1998 in Chicago, and the European debut in Geneva. Since then, more than one version of the car has been tested by Motor. Now here is the 2001 model in VX configuration with a 4.2 liter turbodiesel engine and manual transmission. It’s difficult to call this huge car beautiful - due to the heaviness of its appearance (however, this can also be called solidity). There are not many cars that take up so much space on the road, except perhaps full-size GM “trucks” or, say, HUMMER... Entry and exit is no problem, thanks to the large door openings (both front and rear), as well as the successful wide step . The interior is well designed and well finished. Every little detail has been thought through, everything you need is at hand. The car turned out to be practically in the simplest configuration, despite the VX index on the rear side (in some markets these letters indicate the most expensive equipment option). There is no pseudo-wood in the cabin - honest plastic everywhere (none of the plastic parts bothered us with their “sound” during the test), no electronic gadgets, like the steering wheel and seat servo drives that move away when the ignition is turned off. But this will not prevent a driver of any height and build from finding the optimal fit. The seating position is high, visibility is not satisfactory, but confident parking in reverse requires a habit - a feature of all large cars. If it were up to me, the Land Cruiser would be required to install a system similar to Parktronic. The instrument panel pleased with the large and easy to read speedometer and tachometer scales. They are complemented by indicators for fuel level, engine temperature, battery charging and oil pressure. To the right and left of the steering wheel there are switches for locking the center and rear cross-axle differentials. The selected mode is indicated by crosses that light up on the pictogram, which schematically depicts the transmission. On the center console there is a radio and a microclimate control unit. I was pleased with the stove: the test took place in 15-degree frost, but the huge interior warmed up without problems. The back seat can comfortably accommodate three people, and if they squeeze in, there is enough space for a fourth (the car is almost two meters wide). You don’t have to be cramped, but throw down a couple of hanging “chairs” in the luggage compartment, although you won’t get far on them. When folded, they are located along the sides of the body and do not take up much space, and can be dismantled if necessary. The rear row of seats folds either completely or in parts. The fifth door opens in the American way - one half up, the other down. The lower part can be used as an “extension” of the floor when transporting long cargo... The Land Cruiser is a serious car, and this is easy to see once again by opening the hood. Everything that is possible is carefully sealed - all the wiring is laid in special tubes, you won’t see bare terminals on the electrical connectors, the generator and starter are placed in special casings. For reliable engine starting in any weather, two powerful batteries are installed. I start the engine. You can guess about its operation only by the tachometer needle - noise and vibrations practically do not penetrate into the cabin. The turbodiesel produces maximum torque (430 Nm) already at 1400 rpm. and holds it up to 3200 rpm, which has a beneficial effect both when starting off and when overcoming obstacles. This characteristic, in my opinion, is ideal for an SUV. It allows you to drive in difficult conditions almost at idle speed and not be afraid that the engine will stall at the most inopportune moment. We drove through deep snow, overcame snow dumps built by a tractor, but were never able to “plant” the car - despite the fact that it was wearing road tires. But we did not use the rich reserves of the transmission at all - differential locks and a low range... An attempt at a sharp start (and especially the beginning of acceleration) showed that a Land Cruiser with a turbodiesel and a manual gearbox is not the best car for racing from traffic lights. At low engine speeds, the turbocharger does not work at full strength, and when you release the gas to go from first to second, the boost pressure is lost. However, if necessary, the Land Cruiser quite willingly starts in second, and in a car with an automatic transmission, where you don’t need to take your foot off the gas pedal, this problem will not arise at all. Having accelerated, the car confidently stays in city traffic. Here the wide range of torque came in very handy; even in fifth gear you can accelerate from 60 km/h. At first, problems arise with the dimensions, especially during quick lane changes, however, after a while you realize that on such a car the tactics of “embroidering” the necessary fruits do not bear fruit. And there’s no point in it (not to mention the fact that it’s dangerous). You can simply move assertively in the left lane, rolling over those in front. Only the most stubborn driver will not clear the way when he sees a colossus hanging over the rear bumper. You don’t have to worry about road surface defects thanks to the powerful, energy-intensive suspension. Even on serious potholes, the car only sways, as if noting their presence. Despite the enormous weight of the Land Cruiser, the brakes cope with their duties successfully. The massiveness of the car and the corresponding engine volume imply decent fuel consumption, and this is taken into account when choosing the tank volume - in principle, you can drive up to a thousand kilometers on one gas station... During long-term operation of any car, features may appear that cannot be felt during a test drive. Some comments that accumulated over the year of actual use of the “weaving” were expressed by one of our readers on the pages of the magazine (“Motor” #4, 1999), especially regarding the car’s handling in extreme conditions (for which it, however, is not intended) . But even there it was noted that the only problem during this period was the failure of the headlight washer fuse... In general, the Land Cruiser 100 bears the heavy burden of its popularity with dignity.

The beginning of our era – 80 series

Land Cruiser 80

The release of the Toyota Land Cruiser 80 marked the beginning of a new era in Japanese automobile manufacturing. 10 years of model release (1988-1998) became the years of formation of the Toyota brand as we know it today. And not the least role in this was played by the Land Cruiser, which began to offer a variety of engine options.

Until 1992, the gasoline family was represented by a carburetor 4-liter 3F-E unit with 155 horsepower and a 4.5-liter 195-horsepower new 1FZ-F, which was later converted to a fuel-injected 1FZ-FE engine with a power of up to 215 horses. The naturally aspirated 4.2 liter 1HZ has become a legend of the concern. Owners of a car with such a unit argued that the resource of the Toyota Land Cruiser engine cannot be exhausted. 120-136 naturally aspirated horsepower became the favorite of American farmers. There were also 4.2-liter turbocharged diesel engines 1HD-T and 1HD-FT. The power of 170 horsepower was accompanied by unprecedentedly low fuel consumption, but such cars were practically not exported to the CIS countries. Commercial vehicles were equipped with a simple 1PZ engine of 3.5 liters and 115 horses. Land Cruiser Prado was awarded smaller diesel units: 2L-T and 2LT-E 2.4 liters and 85 and 97 horses, respectively, as well as a 3-liter 1KZ-TE with 130 horses.

The eightieth generation of the iconic SUV lasted on the market until 1998, when the design was already obsolete and the engines required updating.

Technical characteristics of Toyota Land Cruiser 80

Weight data for Land Cruiser 800 with different engines. The indicated weight is approximate.

Parameters of Land Cruiser 80 with petrol and diesel engines. After restyling, these characteristics did not change much.

Dimensions and volumes of Toyota Land Cruiser 80 after restyling 1995.

Anniversary “Hundredth” Land Cruiser

Land Cruiser 100

The production of the 100th generation of the SUV began a year before the 80 series was removed from the assembly line - in 1997. This car became a real breakthrough for the brand into the luxury transport market.

The range of engines was presented by both petrol and diesel units. The eight-cylinder gasoline engines had a volume of 4.7 liters, 235 horses under the hood and were labeled 2UZ-FE. Diesel units were represented by a 4.2 liter 1HD-FTE engine with 204 horsepower with incredible efficiency, low consumption and a very reliable design, as well as a younger brother 1HZ with 135 horsepower. One or two turbochargers gave the large frame SUV some drive.

A special version of the Land Cruiser 100 is the Toyota Land Cruiser Cygnus. It offered only one engine option - a 4.7 liter gasoline monster 2UZ-FE with 235 horsepower. The automatic transmission was set up perfectly, so the dynamics and driving performance of the car were at the highest level. Prado stood out here too with other units. Petrol 3RZ-FE for 150 horses and 2.7 liters (replaced by 2TR-FE, 13 horses added), 3 liter diesel engines 1KZ-TE and 1KD-FTV for 145 and 170 horses. Well, the crown of the brand is the 3.4-liter 185-horsepower 5VZ-FE gasoline unit, which in the future was replaced by a 4-liter 1GR-FE with 249 horses.

In 2007, the production of the hundredth generation Land Cruiser came to an end. Today this is one of the most popular SUVs on the secondary market, which has very roughly lost in price.

Weight Land Cruiser 100

Many people are interested in how much the Land Cruiser 100 weighs. If we talk about such a parameter as the mass of the Land Cruiser 100, then it is characterized by the following indicators:

• curb weight – 2260 kg;
• total weight – 3260 kg.

The fairly large weight of the Land Cruiser 100 makes the car as stable as possible.

The latest generation – immediately plus 100

Land Cruiser 200

The Japanese themselves were probably surprised at how high they were able to jump in the development of the new Land Cruiser 200, which began production in 2007. After all, they added not ten points to the car’s index, as was before, but as many as a hundred.

The car retains all the advantages that have ensured the popularity of the family of Japanese SUVs for years. Frame design, impenetrable suspension, high ground clearance and incredible comfort - all this remains at the highest level.

Cars with automatic transmissions are imported into the CIS countries. One diesel unit with a capacity of 235 horsepower, 4.5 liters and a volume of 1VD-FTV is offered. And two petrol ones: a 4.6-liter 1UR-FE engine with a record 309 horsepower and a less powerful 4.7-liter 2UZ-FE with 288 horses. Toyota LC Prado continues to use the iconic 2TR-FE and 1GR-FE petrol units.

So far the Japanese have not announced a generation change, although there are doubts that the 200 series will remain on the production line for too long. The pace of development of SUVs in the world has increased so much that updates will have to be done much more often.

Technical characteristics of Land Cruiser 200

Weight data for Land Cruiser 200 with different engines. The indicated weight is approximate.

Characteristics of the Land Cruiser 200 with a gasoline engine and a diesel engine after the second restyling.

LandCruiser 200 off-road Characteristics of the Land Cruiser 200 with a gasoline engine and a diesel engine after the first restyling.

Dimensions and volumes of Toyota Land Cruiser 200.

Toyota Land Cruiser 200 after restyling 2012

Constantly growing popularity

From the release of the first Toyota BJ model to the latest versions of the Land Cruiser, the car's popularity has only increased. The introduction of the latest technologies, Japanese meticulousness in the smallest details, quality of assembly and materials - all this gives results.

The popularity of the car in the world is evidenced by the fact that it is easier to find a contract engine for a Toyota Land Cruiser than a unit for any other car.

The quality of the Japanese concern and its attitude to business make Toyota cars a desirable purchase for every person. Let's hope that future generations of the SUV series will be no less attractive in all respects.