2020 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series Sahara (car review)

‘Oh what a feeling’ has been the Toyota catchphrase for many years, and for us it sums up the 2020 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series Sahara in terms of performance, versatility, comfort and driving pleasure.

With enough room for the entire family and with supreme 4×4 capability, the Sahara encourages an almost luxurious exploration of this great country. All of with style and reliability.

The Sahara sits at the peak of the LandCruiser range and boasts just about every conceivable feature you could desire, combining it with serious off-road creed. And Aussies love it.

Part of Australia’s love affair with the LandCruiser has to do with its 4.5-litre 200kW twin turbo V8 diesel donk, offering more than enough power around town, cruising on the freeway or battling terrain off the beaten track.

This power plant does it all well and as good if not better than anything else in class.

Producing 650Nm of torque and paired with an automatic 6-speed electronic control transmission, the drivetrain features artificial intelligence shift control and sequential shift. The Sahara definitely has the goods to get up and boogie when called upon too.

The 200 Series Sahara LandCruiser does need some of that grunt to move its 2740kg kerb weight though; it’s a heavy beast. Given it’s almost 5.0-metres long too, its claimed 9.5-litres/100km fuel economy is not too shabby. That figure’s more than a little hopeful if you’re heavy with the right foot.

It’s packed with a range of safety features too, including lane departure alert, pre-collision safety system with pedestrian detection, automatic high beam, active cruise control, and a reversing camera and sensors.

Active traction control, vehicle stability control, blind spot monitoring, as well as a host of air bags, all come standard, and will keep you safe. Easy to see why it holds a 5-star ANCAP safety rating as well.

Add to all these safety features a massive cabin that can seat seven adults in comfort, or as comfortable as you can be in the third row, and the LandCruiser Sahara stacks up well.

A leather accented interior with wood grain look highlights on the steering wheel and gear knob, feature inside the impressive Sahara cabin.

Power adjustable driver and front passenger seats also come with heating and ventilation, while second row seating features 60/40 split-folding seats and the third-row has a 50/50 split for more flexibility in how you utilise the cabin space.

A 9.0-inch LCD touchscreen provides controls for the single disc CD player, AM/FM stereo, Bluetooth connectivity, and satellite navigation. The bug bear remains a lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

How you can have a top of the range vehicle that costs well in excess of 100K without simple functionality is just baffling. Keyless entry and start do come standard though, along with an engine immobiliser and alarm.

The exterior of the Sahara looks sharp as well. Standard fitment included Bi-Beam LED headlamps with LED daylight running lights, which feature washers and dynamic auto-levelling.

Front fog lamps, power retractable exterior mirrors, side steps, a power back door and LED rear license plate illuminator finish out some of the other external niceties.

The 2020 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara finds itself rolling on some stylish 18-inch alloy wheels that match the outside appeal of the Sahara nicely. They are also reasonably easy to clean,  which is important if you plan to take your Sahara off road.

And why wouldn’t you. It eats up the off-road bumps well thanks to its front independent double wishbone suspension that features a coil spring, gas dampeners and anti-roll bar. On the rear, there’s 4-link coil suspension with Panhard rod with coil springs and KDSS anti-roll bar.

There are also a host of off-road features including a massive 138-litre fuel tank that make the Sahara an ideal companion for touring. Multi terrain select, crawl control and kinetic dynamic suspension all find their way onto the big Toyota as standard fitment too.

Add to this a 3500kg braked towing capacity and you can start to understand the broad market appeal the LandCruiser Sahara offers.

Available in a host of colours including Glacier White, Ebony, Crystal Pearl, Silver Pearl (tested), Graphite, Eclipse Black, and Merlot Red, there is a colour to suit every pallete.

With a drive away price starting at $134,022, the Sahara represents a significant investment in your motoring experience, but it ticks a lot of boxes for versatility, capability, style and comfort.

As for this reviewer’s personal opinion, if he were going to tour Australia and wanted to take his wife, four children, tow a caravan, explore off road and do it in comfort, well this would be the vehicle of choice.

Our 2020 Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series Sahara was supplied by Toyota Australia. To find out more, contact your local Toyota dealer.