If you want to go into the wild, any truck can take you, they say. If you want to get back, take a Land Cruiser, Toyota says. If you want to have fun, put Hilary Swank behind the wheel and let her have her fair share of fun, we'd dare say.
This is exactly what the Japanese automaker did. Award-winning Hilary Swank and comedian Jimmy O. Yang start on a journey aboard two Land Cruisers to see if they can get back in two different cars. Hillary is on the same team with her friend, Deon Taylor, while Jimmy takes his father on board the Land Cruiser.
A three-minute short film takes them on a wild adventure along paths covered in either mud or snow. But that is after helicopters drop the two Toyotas onto a snowy embarkment.
The two teams have to go on a round trip with no help from any type of navigation. While staying offline, they have a satellite phone as a last resort in case they are lost or they get stuck. But once they hit the Call button, it's game over for any of the teams involved. They do have a hand-drawn map to help them out, though.
While Jimmy tackles the mountains, Hillary navigates the high desert. But that is so her, she confirms. The actress likes trucks and the outdoors, so "driving the new Toyota Land Cruiser was a blast!" she brags about adapting to rough situations, as she has to drive over rocky and muddy terrain. And she's not even getting her third Academy Award for this part.
Photo: Toyota
Meanwhile, Jimmy says that he has never been outdoorsy and has no idea what he's doing. Furthermore, he had his dad to make the trip even more challenging for him. "It was the challenge of a lifetime to survive my dad's complaints in the wilderness," he explained.
Their Toyotas are equipped with the iFORCE MAX powertrain and Full-Time 4WD, as well as locking center and rear differentials and a two-speed transfer case, which make sure that they are not going to get stuck in the mud or snow or whatever comes their way.
The hybrid system integrates a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, an electric motor, and a nickel-metal hydride battery pack with a capacity of 1.87 kWh. The system delivers 326 horsepower (330 metric horsepower) and 465 pound-feet (630 Newton meters) of torque to all four corners through an eight-speed auto box.
The trip into the wilderness confirms the model's reliability and durability, characteristics that Toyota customers have been counting on since 1958 when the automaker launched the model.
The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is a $55,950 affair in the United States. That is how much customers would pay for the entry-level "1958" grade. The Land Cruiser First Edition sits at the opposite end of the range, starting at $74,950.
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