Look at Toyota in markets like Australia and Africa. For years they were producing excellent, strong and reliable offroad cars like the LC 70 and 80. Everybody was praising Toyota for their reliability and that you can repair them at almost any garage in the bush.
Suddenly the world-markets change. New players are pushing in the offroad sector. Every reputable car manufacturer has suddenly a 4x4. Most of them equipped with all goodies you can think off. In the region of a Landcruiser 80 there are now Porsche, VW, Mercedes, BMW, SAAB, etc. to compete. How can you offer a car that cost $ 60K and above without the same electronic equipment as the competitors. Toyota had a problem :whoops:
So they created the LC 100, the latest model. To compete with the other choices in the luxury 4x4 department it had to be a Mall Cruiser :
So the engineers finally came up with a car that has almost all of the electronic stuff the competitors offer (okay, others are still better equpped, but ..) but they had to compromise the offroad capabilities. Otherwise it wouldn't run so smooth as a Mercedes or BMW and the handling would be too rough. Customers would have selected any other luxury 4x4 if Toyota would have offered less.
But what about the old customers in markets like Australia and Africa. They don't want a Mall Cruiser. They depend on the reliability and capability of the cruiser. Toyota paniced and made a move. It created something like the LC 105 to hold the market share especially in the important Cruiser-market Australia. But what have they created:
A LC 100, big-size, fully equipped with electronic up to the roof, heavy-weight champion and they place all this on a chassis of a 80 with a 4.5L engine. Sheesh, who had this idea ???
We are all complaining already about the speed of our 80's. What about a LC 105 with our engine but much more weight. We are going back to the times of our beloved 4.0L engine. And do you think all the electronic stuff will be mastered by a garage in the bush? I have stayed for eight years in Africa and have seen LC 80's used for the rough areas only. Almost all electronic funny stuff, like electr. seats, sunroof, radio/CD, even the windows were not operating anymore. Not important, but the A/C was running. And the car was a great and reliable truck.
Now look at a LC 105. I don't know about the grade of electronic equipment that remains but it will be for sure much more than in a LC 80. And the price is far too high for the bush. I think that the LC 105 was a rescue mission of TOY to save market shares. Nothing more and nothing less.
It would have been much better to continue the 80 for some markets, maybe to boost the engine a bit and to sell them as bush-taxis.
If the LC 105 would have a V8, solid axles, lockers and less funny stuff for a price close to a new 80 then I think it would be great.
This is only my personal opinion and I know you will disagree but out of my experience in Africa I don't see the light for a LC 105.
Mike
(Sorry for the spelling. I am trying)
Suddenly the world-markets change. New players are pushing in the offroad sector. Every reputable car manufacturer has suddenly a 4x4. Most of them equipped with all goodies you can think off. In the region of a Landcruiser 80 there are now Porsche, VW, Mercedes, BMW, SAAB, etc. to compete. How can you offer a car that cost $ 60K and above without the same electronic equipment as the competitors. Toyota had a problem :whoops:
So they created the LC 100, the latest model. To compete with the other choices in the luxury 4x4 department it had to be a Mall Cruiser :
So the engineers finally came up with a car that has almost all of the electronic stuff the competitors offer (okay, others are still better equpped, but ..) but they had to compromise the offroad capabilities. Otherwise it wouldn't run so smooth as a Mercedes or BMW and the handling would be too rough. Customers would have selected any other luxury 4x4 if Toyota would have offered less.But what about the old customers in markets like Australia and Africa. They don't want a Mall Cruiser. They depend on the reliability and capability of the cruiser. Toyota paniced and made a move. It created something like the LC 105 to hold the market share especially in the important Cruiser-market Australia. But what have they created:
A LC 100, big-size, fully equipped with electronic up to the roof, heavy-weight champion and they place all this on a chassis of a 80 with a 4.5L engine. Sheesh, who had this idea ???
We are all complaining already about the speed of our 80's. What about a LC 105 with our engine but much more weight. We are going back to the times of our beloved 4.0L engine. And do you think all the electronic stuff will be mastered by a garage in the bush? I have stayed for eight years in Africa and have seen LC 80's used for the rough areas only. Almost all electronic funny stuff, like electr. seats, sunroof, radio/CD, even the windows were not operating anymore. Not important, but the A/C was running. And the car was a great and reliable truck.
Now look at a LC 105. I don't know about the grade of electronic equipment that remains but it will be for sure much more than in a LC 80. And the price is far too high for the bush. I think that the LC 105 was a rescue mission of TOY to save market shares. Nothing more and nothing less.
It would have been much better to continue the 80 for some markets, maybe to boost the engine a bit and to sell them as bush-taxis.
If the LC 105 would have a V8, solid axles, lockers and less funny stuff for a price close to a new 80 then I think it would be great.
This is only my personal opinion and I know you will disagree but out of my experience in Africa I don't see the light for a LC 105.
Mike
(Sorry for the spelling. I am trying
)
