I would love the V6TT but I do not have the budget for it. I'll wait a few years and buy it used after Toyota gets the bugs figured out 
200 VS. 300 SUV Battle
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... all valid points.
Add to that that V8 are dinosaurs for today standards and even more so tomorrow. It doesn't make sense to develop a new model using something that you know is already obsolete at least in societal "perception". It doesn't matter if it has cylinder deactivation or not. That tech is also old and not flexible. It does not have the granularity and control that a modern computer controlled turbo has. The V8 is also more expensive in raw materials that the V6, larger in size and mass, more expensive to build, less flexible in use across vehicles, and I'm sure the list is not complete.
I'm a fan of turbo engines in general everyday use and work use. However, when it is for a vehicle named 'Land Cruiser' which is supposedly built to go everywhere and back, last thing you want is adding 'complications'.
Turbo engines are complicated. Finding parts or fixing them is complicated for the shade tree mechanic in the middle of the desert, let alone not having the proper tools or knowledge to diagnose said issues. Getting bad fuel from a broken down gas station filled by tankers everyday is a recipe for misfire or knock problems in boosted applications.. I'm not even going to talk about performance drop or overheat issues and power loss when pushing them hard (fyi, already happening out here in the middle east test videos, brand new stock vehicles! Heat gauge goes up power comes down..). It's just the nature of pushing so much power through a small engine.. stress will happen. A relaxed big v8 is worse in many aspects, but can handle some abuse before complaining vs a more powerful and efficient boosted v6.
Yes for everyday use there is absolutely nothing to worry about. I have no doubt Toyota knows how to build good cars. Being within a dealer network will never have you think of too many 'what ifs' until your use scenario is out of the safety net..
Yes the 300 is better in every way, on paper. In the real world, improvements through additional 'complications' is a liability when you are outside the safety zone or under extreme use. That's the sad reality we face to keep these cars alive these days...
All true. Turbos are wonderful if treated well but they are picky with fuel and need good charge cooling. Toyota will have to engineer for those conditions and add more safety margins and easier troubleshooting so at least if you have the diagnostic tools you can find the issue w/o just throwing (expensive) parts at it. Otherwise the LC will become just another truck. So there is a lot at stake for them to get things right, eventually. This is the first production year with a new engine so some problems should be expected even for Toyota.
Those are just issues that Toyota has to deal with and find solutions. Toyota has to make cars that sell in today word and a few good years from now. That is true for competition to. With climate change pressure mounting on politicians it will not be long before we'll see climate gas tax, or climate car tax on new gas cars. Maybe not in Kuwait but definitely in US and Europe. Toyota absolutely has to address that. There are not many viable options for trucks, as we saw with the F150 electric "experiment". Years from now yes, there will be better options but for now I think turbo is a good solution and they are not the only ones going that way. For most of the US the turbo is actually better as it has an advantage in the mountains, the temps are far from Middle East so heat soak should not be as bad, and it is aligned with where the country is going. Most of these vehicles live near populated areas with garages capable of fixing them and the gas could be better but it is not bad. I know 300 is not coming here but 4Runner is.
As for shade tree that was always an issue caused by new things, call it evolution or whatever. In the not far future you're going to have to carry electronic tools with you like you are carrying wrenches now. It is just how the things always moved. New tech required new tools and new knowledge. You adapt or you are left behind in the time capsule until you run out of spare parts and are forced to move on. I personally prefer to be somewhat in between: not too far back that I have a world of knowledge but no parts at my disposal, not too close to brand new vehicles that I'm becoming the automaker's guinea pig.
The good thing is that we people are adaptable and the tech is still built by people so we are capable of mastering it.
Those are just issues that Toyota has to deal with and find solutions. Toyota has to make cars that sell in today word and a few good years from now. That is true for competition to. With climate change pressure mounting on politicians it will not be long before we'll see climate gas tax, or climate car tax on new gas cars. Maybe not in Kuwait but definitely in US and Europe. Toyota absolutely has to address that. There are not many viable options for trucks, as we saw with the F150 electric "experiment". Years from now yes, there will be better options but for now I think turbo is a good solution and they are not the only ones going that way. For most of the US the turbo is actually better as it has an advantage in the mountains, the temps are far from Middle East so heat soak should not be as bad, and it is aligned with where the country is going. Most of these vehicles live near populated areas with garages capable of fixing them and the gas could be better but it is not bad. I know 300 is not coming here but 4Runner is.
As for shade tree that was always an issue caused by new things, call it evolution or whatever. In the not far future you're going to have to carry electronic tools with you like you are carrying wrenches now. It is just how the things always moved. New tech required new tools and new knowledge. You adapt or you are left behind in the time capsule until you run out of spare parts and are forced to move on. I personally prefer to be somewhat in between: not too far back that I have a world of knowledge but no parts at my disposal, not too close to brand new vehicles that I'm becoming the automaker's guinea pig.
The good thing is that we people are adaptable and the tech is still built by people so we are capable of mastering it.
