Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Whether it be a compact Yaris or a larger-than-life Land Cruiser, it’s impossible to look around the kingdom’s roads and not spot a Toyota.
The brand is a firm favourite with drivers on the island and with the launch of the all-new 2012 Land Cruiser at the weekend; Toyota aims to further cement its reputation for reliability and luxury in Bahrain.
The launch by Ebrahim K. Kanoo, the distributor of Toyota and Lexus cars in the kingdom, took place in the presence of company and brand executives in Sitra.
The Land Cruiser’s chief engineer Sadayoshi Koyari travelled from Japan for the press conference and was eager to highlight some of the model’s design features.
Mr Koyari said: “I’m confident that the new Land Cruiser will meet any, and all, expectations.
“It has a new, more aggressive front and rear design, more power and torque than its predecessor, boasts less fuel consumption and boasts a world-first feature – the Turn Assist System.”
The system enhances the large vehicle’s turning ability and minimises the driver effort needed during a tight U-turn manoeuvre by applying the brake on the inside rear wheel.
There are also several changes to the exterior including a redesigned front bumper, a rounder radiator grill and headlamps that have been modified with HID low beams and integrated LED lights.
Meanwhile, the interior has also been revamped which offers drivers more comfort and luxury than ever before, its makers say.
The centre cluster has been re-designed with chrome-plated ornamentation and the instrument panel has been redesigned.
The steering wheel with a new wood grain/leather combination and larger switches have been adopted to enhance ease of use, along with a larger gear stick, door handles and audio switches.
Ismail Akbar, executive general manager of sales at Ebrahim K. Kanoo, said: “The new Land Cruiser is a vehicle that continues more than 60 years of history of strength, durability and reliability while adding multiple new technologies and features.
“With changes to the interior and exterior and a refined sense of luxury, it has kept a lot of what made our existing customers trust and love it, while adding more to the legend of this vehicle.”
Ayman Shehadeh, Toyota and Lexus brand manager, said: “The 2012 Land Cruiser takes refined elegance, rugged luxury and supreme power to totally new dimensions. It has a newly redesigned futuristic exterior, an ultra-luxurious cabin equipped with innovative features and on top of that an extra powerful yet more fuel efficient engines.”
The 2012 Land Cruiser is available with a 5 or 6 speed automatic transmission and comes with a 5.7-litre V8 engine, a newly developed 4.6-litre V8 engine, an improved 4.0-litre V6 engine and a V8 4.5-litre diesel engine options.
It’s not just power and comfort that make this model so appealing, it also boasts an impressive list of safety credentials including a multi-terrain feature, which allows the vehicle to adapt to various road conditions for improved off-road performance, which also controls wheel spin and wheel lockup.
The Land Cruiser has been designed to be just as safe and reliable on-road as off. A monitor is used in conjunction to help drivers observe their surrounds through front, side and rear cameras. There is also a back and clearance sonar that notifies the driver of obstacles around the vehicle.
Some of the finer creature comforts of the new model include a USB/AUX terminal for external audio devices, advanced Bluetooth communication compatibility and a hands free feature for safer driving and a rear seat entertainment system.
Prices start from BD20,500 with a four year/ 150,000km warranty.
For more details, call the Toyota showroom on 17730730 or visit www.toyota.com.bh
