The strange case of the “missing” Land Cruiser horsepower

Toyota Motor Philippines unveiled the “partially redesigned” Land Cruiser last week. With that, Toyota delivered the latest version of the SUV that has become the status symbol vehicle, particularly if your bodyguards ride in one, too. The Land Cruiser boasts of supreme comfort and the capability to tackle any flooded road or sand dune anytime you want to.

Now, the specifications are impressive, at least for the high-end “Full Option” version: electronic off-road traction system, LED headlamps, memory seats, multi-zone airconditioning, power actuated steering wheel with memory, just part of a very long list of features.

Official Land Cruiser specification from Toyota Motor Philippine shows 232 hp / 615 Nm

However, some early bird-buyers may be disappointed in the engine specifications of the Land Cruiser. They were promised that the twin-turbo diesel V8 engine will delivery 282 hp and 650 Nm of torque, up 50 hp and 35Nm from the previous spec.

These specifications were in the official quotations given to buyers. When Toyota revealed the new Land Cruiser, the given specifications were: 232 hp and 615 Nm, the same as the pre-facelift model. The dealers’ earlier explanation for the boost in horsepower is that the new engine now features twin turbocharging, versus the earlier single turbo. And they stand by their figure, too.

What makes this strange is that the Australian version of the Land Cruiser, which also carries the twin-turbo diesel V8, is rated at 272 hp, nearer the 282 hp figure. The Euro 5 emissions standard probably accounts for the difference. The previous Australian Land Cruiser diesel already packed 265hp.

Toyota Motor Philippines is promising to look into this mystery and give an answer soon.