Toyota reveals Continentals
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• by Colin Barnett
As part of a plan to strengthen its position in the European light CV market, Toyota has displayed a selection of its Continental line-up. As well as the Niece and Hike( ranges familiar to UK operators, and the Portuguese-built Caetano luxury coaches, various European markets get the Dyna and Land Cruiser 70 ranges.
The first of a new family of Toyota diesel engines has recently beer introduced in the UK-built Avensis car. The D4-D is a two-litre 16-valve directinjection turbo-diesel using common-rail technology to produce 110hp and an impressive 250Nm of torque. A 1.4-litre version is intended for a small car, but of more interest to CMis the 2.4-litre destined for CV use. As Toyota is lagging in the diesel engine power stakes thanks to
the comparatively modest outputs of the Hiace and Hilux, the new engine can only help the models' showroom appeal Toyota has recently made some specification changes to the !lace van range (CM 18-24 Nov). The main new features are the side-hinged rear doors and an extended model line-up, with an increased GVW of 3.0 tonnes on the LWB models.
Among the Hlaces driven by CM were examples with the 2.4litre turbo-diesel and automatic transmission (neither of which is available in the UK) and with Toyota's excellent satellite navigation system.
The first model we tried was a Dyne. 150 (also not available in the UK). This is a 3.5-tonne forward-control vehicle, similar to lsuzu's NPR. Other Dyna models range from the 2.5tonne 100 to the 6.0-tonne 400, with single and crew-cab versions. Engines run from 72 to 134hp. Some Dyne models are imported from Japan fully built; others are
assembled in Portugal from CKD kits. On the road, carrying
around half its maximum payload, we found the Dyna 150 to have adequate, if not exciting, performance, a slick gear-change and a good ride.
Another vehicle rarely seen in the UK is the Land Cruiser 70 Heavy Duty— an altogether different breed to the Amazon and Colorado oftreaders. The 70 is a real workhorse, competing against the Land Rover Defender in the global market. It has recently been improved by the use of coil springing for the rigid front axle and a fully updated interior. A seriously challenging off-road course was provided but the Land Cruiser, with its excellent axle articulation and individual front and rear diff-locks, shrugged off the challenge. The long-wheelbase versions, how
ever, had a rather limited steering lock, calling for some careful planning if a three-point shunt with its potential for loss of traction was to be avoided. Driving the same course in a Hilux 4x4 confirmed the view that this type of vehicle has serious offroad ability.
One model that the UK is unlikely to see is the Land Cruiser Crawler, which is about to go on sale in the more wintry European markets. It uses individual tracked bogies bolted on in place of the road wheels, and is intended for roles such as ambulance duty in ski resorts.