Taming Africa in a Land Cruiser 300 Safari
Powerful, efficient, hugely capable, and broadly versatile, the Land Cruiser 300 is still the King of Africa. (Just don’t tell the Lions.)
National Parks here in South Africa are a little different than what you find in the US. Different geography. Vehicles. Animals. We’re at Kruger National Park where even the parking lot is an interesting place. People arriving in waves. Taking a break from long drives or a day spent in the bush looking for The Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino — and other safari animals. But even though these people just spent a day exploring everything wild, weird, and wonderful about Africa, the men in the parking lot all turn their eyes to the new Land Cruiser 300.
“There it is,” they motion to friends and family, ogling as they amble past. Later in the day, we noted more than one fellow peering at our LC 300 through his binoculars, rather than the mating lions.
Sadly, you don’t get the LC 300 in the US. Many a Toyota die-hard is miffed. And while the Lexus LX 600 does offer sloppy seconds according to our US peers, it’s not the same. And if a real LC 300 showed up in the states, we’d expect the same response as we got in the Kruger.
Land Cruiser 300 Specs & Features
Based on Toyota’s new ladder frame New Global Architecture rather than Sequoia’s Tacoma truck chassis, LC 300 is unmistakably more angular and dynamic looking. With more than a passing resemblance to its great ancestors. This blackened black GR version has an off-road pack on, with smaller wheels and fatter tires and that perhaps helped split the opinion. Styling appreciation is of course subjective. Some of us loved the Tonka toy looks. Others not so much.
Our GR-badged Cruiser 300 was powered by Toyota’s hugely significant new 305 HP 516 lb.-ft 3.3-liter bi-turbodiesel V6. It brings a 43 HP and 37 lb.-ft hike over the old atmo V8 and they promise a 130-mph top end and a meager 26 mpg. You can also get the Lexus LS 500’s turbo V6 if you prefer gas propulsion. LC 300 soon lulls you into a sense of serenity. The lazy diesel V6 is supreme on the open road, its invisible 10-speed auto always pulling the correct cog for what you need.
One must floor it occasionally to remind yourself of its stump-pulling performance. You need to do that to even hear the engine and still then, it belts out a soothing tone. Wind noise is minimal with the windows rolled up, but it does get a bit blustery with a side breeze at lower speeds with the side glass wound down. That balmy bush breeze was worth it though. Still, we were more than comfortable throughout our time in the serene Cruiser.
A Little Real Off-Roading on the Side
Being a Cruiser, there’s a fair amount of feedback from rougher road surfaces, but on smooth highways, it’s supreme. We had a little time with it well off the beaten track. We paused for a couple of days en route to the Park at a little trout escape far from the madding world near Dullstroom. That meant some real off-roading to access the cabin and travel to the ponds. Needless to say, our Land Cruiser 300 proved unstoppable on any regular off-road challenge it faced.
LC 300’s mud plugging party trick is of course its ability to hydraulically decouple its suspension anti-roll bars. That allows ultimate vehicle control, excellent axle articulation and supple body-roll, for supreme 4×4 ability and comfort. And when you get back on the tarmac, switch the chassis to Sport Plus and 300 delivers a splendid performance car repertoire. The best of both. Not bad for a literal block of flats. We kept it in plushier Comfort most of the time, thank you very much!
We had more than enough time to get to know all the little bits and pieces, spending most of our seven days in the park aboard our 300. And a couple of days getting there and back too. Some of it took a little getting used to. With so many buttons and functions, the infotainment logic isn’t as deft as among LC 300’s higher-class European rivals. Their interfaces are simpler and easier to use. But by the time we were done, we quite enjoyed the infotainment and the rest.
Complex Infotainment Comes to You
The broad central screen shows three narrow panes, or a wider one and a narrow one. Touch functions are backed by buttons in most cases, which hard interfaces we prefer. We quickly learned their place as we went. The deep, refrigerated cubby under the center armrest is a boon in the bush. The front cup holders are big enough to take large Kruger Park thermo mugs and their handles. The conductive phone pad works a treat. Add USB and USB C ports, and more too.
It was also good to spend time in the back of LC300, something less common in regular tests. It’s tauter and rougher aft, but there’s ample legroom and the seats are comfy. Oddly enough, the fold-down central armrest does not open up and its pop-out drinks holders do not fit those big mugs! And the option carpet is a mess. You have ample control in the back thanks to four-zone climate with roof vents, controls and more vents at the rear of the center console. Add two USB C ports too.
We spent hour upon hour time exploring the splendid Kruger National Park. Traveling far enough north to find a Baobab tree as we ticked off a significant number of the animals in the guide as we went. If ever you visit South Africa, be sure to make time for it. Most impressively, this frugal, powerful, and unstoppable bi-turbodiesel V6 averaged 24.7 mpg traveling over 1,000 miles on all surfaces throughout our ten days away. That’s a huge Cruiser step forward, especially with gas fast closing on $6 a gallon.
300 is True to the Land Cruiser Badge
Wherever we went, the Land Cruiser 300 GR stopped stopped traffic. It drew so much attention it might as well have been included with The Big Five on the Kruger Park sightings board maps! Everyone knows what it is, and its rarity seems to add to the allure. Sure, there are a few little aspects that could be different. Or better, according to some.
But it’s a Land Cruiser and all of it is true to that badge. Powerful and efficient, hugely capable, and broadly versatile, it’s still the King of Africa. (Just don’t tell the lions.)
Images: Michele Lupini
Kruger National Park Giants Gallery
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