First Drive: 2026/2027 Toyota Land Cruiser
We recently had the opportunity to experience the 2026 Toyota Land Cruiser in its natural habitat - on the hills, trails and roadways in and around Banff, Alberta. This rugged SUV has been engineered to tackle the great outdoors, while still delivering a civilized and comfortable ride on both highways and city streets.
Toyota recently announced the launch of the 2027 Land Cruiser, which is almost identical to the 2026 model. Besides a few added creature comforts and other upgrades, it’s essentially the same SUV.
Three great choices
Whether you opt for the 2026 or 2027 model, the Land Cruiser is available in two official trims: Land Cruiser 1958, and Land Cruiser. However, another option is the Land Cruiser with the Premium Package, which could be considered a standalone third trim.
According to Toyota, the 1958 trim was named to honour the year Toyota introduced the Land Cruiser to North America. This “entry-level” trim comes with the same hybrid powertrain as its sibling, but it lacks some of the amenities including a wireless charger, a power liftgate, and a number of ADAS features.
The 1958 comes with a six-speaker audio system, while the Land Cruiser gets 10, and the Premium Package includes a 14-speaker JBL audio system. The 1958 has an eight-inch multimedia screen, while the Land Cruiser and Land Cruiser with Premium Package get a massive 12.3 inch screen.
Our top-of-the-line test vehicle came with the Premium Package, which was loaded with all the creature comforts and features one might expect in an SUV with a starting price close to $90k. Notable amenities include a three-zone automatic climate control, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a head-up display, a digital display rear view mirror, heated and ventilated leather front and rear seats, illuminated running boards, and a nifty centre console cooler box that keeps your drinks cold on hot days.
All trims come equipped with the same capable hybrid powertrain with a 2.4L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission, full-time 4WD, and a towing capacity of 2,722 kg (6,000 lbs.). This hybrid powertrain offers ample oomph for both city driving and highway maneuvers, and the transmission is buttery-smooth. Moreover, the Land Cruiser is a delight to drive, and despite its size, it’s surprisingly easy to maneuver in tighter spaces.
We had hoped that this hybrid would deliver better fuel economy numbers than the 10.8 L/100 km (combined) we observed during the two days we had behind the wheel, but this is not a Prius. There’s a price to pay when you’re driving a larger SUV with 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque on tap, whether all that power and torque is a need or a want. It also runs on premium fuel, which factors into the total cost of ownership.
Safety and Security
All trims come with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 – a suite of active safety technologies and capabilities that support driver awareness and decision making to help reduce the potential for accidents.
Other standard safety features include the Toyota Star Safety System, the Blind Spot Monitor system with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, a backup camera with camera washer, Intuitive Parking Assist with Auto Braking, eight or nine airbags (depending on the model year), and much more.
We were particularly impressed with the abilities of the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control system, which is part of Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 and standard on all trims.
While driving the twisty highways between Calgary, Banff and Lake Louise, we set our cruise control to the speed limit. However, despite our settings, we noticed that the Land Cruiser would autonomously lower our speed whenever we approached a more pronounced curve in the road, and then automatically bring it back up to the set speed once we cleared the curve. Very intelligent and very impressive!
For executives seeking a premium SUV that can confidently handle everything from long road trips to remote site visits, the Land Cruiser makes a compelling case. It combines genuine off-road capability with a refined driving experience, advanced safety technology, and the long-term durability for which Toyota is known.
The Land Cruiser delivers a mix of comfort, capability, reliability, and confidence behind the wheel, which makes it a versatile choice for organizations that need a vehicle equally at home in the boardroom parking lot, and far beyond the pavement.
