The GR Sport is the most hardcore of the J300-series Land Cruisers.
Toyota
Toyota announced its J300 Land Cruiser back in June, but the model officially became available worldwide (except for the US) on Monday. Beyond that, it also announced a new trim inspired by Toyota’s work in the Dakar rally. It’s called GR Sport, and it offers a few more off-road tricks than the standard Land Cruiser.
The most significant change between the GR Sport and the other trim levels is the addition of Toyota’s “Electronic-Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System” or E-KDSS, which independently controls the Land Cruiser’s front and rear stabilizers. E-KDSS can fine-tune those stabilizers to make the Land Cruiser handle significantly better both on-road and off-road. The GR Sport also gets Toyota’s Adaptive Variable Suspension system and the longest-travel shocks of any Land Cruiser ever made.
Other GR Sport-specific changes include standard locking front and rear differentials as well as a bespoke front and rear bumper design that Toyota claims will be much more durable in off-road situations. When even the aesthetic changes are geared towards better off-road performance, you know it’s probably going to be a pretty good Land Cruiser.
The carbon fiber trim feels a little over the top for a Land Cruiser, but the rest is pretty good.
Toyota
The interior offers some aesthetic changes from the regular Land Cruiser, as well. These include carbon fiber trim, lots of GR Racing logos on the seats and steering wheel, as well as on the start-up screen for the infotainment system. The GR Sport interior is available in either black or black and red.
The GR Sport will be available with either a 3.5-liter turbocharged gasoline V6 or a 3.3-liter diesel V6. Both engines get 10-speed automatic transmissions as standard. An interesting aside is that it looks like the GR Sport will only be sold as a seven-seater with the gasoline engine and only as a five-seater with the diesel.
Prices start at around $70,433 (US$ equivalent) for the gasoline model and $73,177 for the diesel, and you better believe we’re cursing the car gods for not sending the J300 GR Sport to the US.