As befits its price tag and position in Toyota’s brand hierarchy, the Land Cruiser V8's cabin has a distinctly Lexus feel to it. Indeed, the centre console, touchscreen interface and audio controls will all be very familiar to anyone who has spent time in an LS460.
It is also one of the most intuitive and easy to use units on the market. Most of the materials are appropriately classy, too, apart from the centre console’s wood trim.
Unlike many separate-chassis SUVs, the Land Cruiser manages to combine its sizeable exterior dimensions with equally impressive internal space. Front seat occupants enjoy plenty of head- and legroom, and the driving position has a comprehensive range of adjustment.
It’s a supremely comfortable place to spend time, helped by excellent high-speed refinement. And it’s worth noting that the V8’s seating position is higher even than that of the Range Rover.
The Land Cruiser V8 has inherited the Amazon’s seven-seat layout, with a third row of seats occupying most of the available boot space when deployed. These fold awkwardly against the sides of the boot when not in use, and access is awkward.
Fortunately, the second-row seats can be moved forwards or backwards on runners, meaning that legroom can be divided among rear occupants according to their needs.
The layout of the primary controls is rational enough, and as in the Lexus LS the touchscreen is easy to use. The only real ergonomic criticism is with the haphazard minor switchgear, which looks a real afterthought; poor control location makes adjusting the mirrors a very fiddly business, for example.
