Forbidden Fruit: Doug DeMuro on the 2022 Land Cruiser
The most famous automotive YouTuber still thinks not bringing the 2022 Land Cruiser to the States was dumb.
While the Land Cruiser is Toyota’s longest running model, toward the end of its run in the United States, it just wasn’t moving many units. So few industry observers were surprised when the company announced the next-generation wouldn’t be available on our shores. That said, Toyota’s decision wasn’t a popular one, and shortly after it was announced, YouTube star Doug DeMuro made a video calling it a “stupid mistake.” For the record, he still feels that way — but he’s not a disappointed as he was initially.
Because thanks to his resourcefulness, DeMuro recently got a chance to check out the 300 Series Lands Cruiser, and the resulting video is predictably informative and funny. But the real kicker is how he managed to get his hands on this piece of forbidden fruit without leaving the country. As it turns out, the model in this video was imported by the ballistics experts at Virginia’s Alpine Armoring, who will be outfitting it to protect VIPs from pesky little things like small arms fire. Once complete, it’ll be headed back across the pond
Another interesting thing about this particular Land Cruiser is that it’s not the optioned-to-the-gills versions Americans are used to seeing. Most noticeably, there’s no infotainment screen, and there’s just a black piece of plastic there in it’s place. The seats are also covered in a pretty basic cloth, and all the adjustments are manual. Additionally, there’s no power assistance to help with getting into or stowing the rear seats, and as DeMuro demonstrates, both processes look like a kind of a chore.
Fortunately, this GXR trim model is packing the same twin-turbo V6 that’s used in the new Tundra, so it’ll have plenty of poke, and it retains the drive modes and locking differential that’ll help it perform when the going gets tough. Overall, DeMuro thinks this is a good rig, but that it isn’t a great leap forward for the Land Cruiser line, even if the new engine means it’ll have more power and better fuel economy. Check out the video for a walk through of all the 300 Series’ quirks and features, and make sure to check out YotaTech’s full review on the 2022 Land Cruiser here!
Photos: YouTube