Toyota Land Cruiser Utility Commercial: the Answer to Our Prayers
Though we likely won’t see it in the U.S., this bare-bones, no-frills 4×4 is everything we’ve ever wanted.
If you want to get a truck enthusiast talking, commiserate on the loss of the bare-bones, stripped-down 4×4. These days, it’s almost impossible to buy a no-frills sport utility vehicle that’s truly capable off road. It’s been like that for years.
Right up through the 1980s and even into the 1990s, it wasn’t unusual to buy a sport utility vehicle that was both sporty and utilitarian. We’re talking steel wheels, cloth seats, a manual transmission, and tremendous off road performance right out of the box.
According to Jalopnik, Toyota has answered our prayers, announcing the Land Cruiser Utility Commercial. It includes all of the above-mentioned attributes, with the added bonus of a 2.8 liter four-cylinder diesel engine putting out 310 pound-feet of torque.
Even better, it’s available in a two door, short-wheelbase variant. Regardless of how many doors you order on your Land Cruiser utility Commercial, the back seats have been replaced by a caged-in, rubber-floored cargo area, with the side windows replaced by painted panels.
That’s not to say that this is your average panel delivery truck, though. We can’t think of any Transit, Sprinter, or Ram Van you can buy today (or ever) with 8 inches of ground clearance or a 31 degree approach angle. Should things get wet, the Land Cruiser Commercial Utility has a maximum wading depth of 27 and a half inches. For DOT and EPA purposes, this thing should be classified as a submarine.
Unfortunately, saying that we’re highly unlikely to receive this no-nonsense dream machine in the U.S. is an understatement. The closest thing we have now is the Lexus GX460, a luxurious beast of burden weighed down with all manner of chrome, fake wood, and sumptuous leather.
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