THERE'S an old saying among mud-luggers ⦠You drive a ‘certain well-known off-roader' to get you into the jungle, and a Toyota Land Cruiser to pull you out!

Very flattering for the Land Cruiser, less so for the unnamed brand. But you get the drift that the big Toyota, now in its fifth generation, is regarded as pretty much unstoppable over challenging terrain.

Trouble is that while most buyers like to know their steed can scrabble up a mountain, very seldom do they use it for such tasks. More likely, it will ferry the shopping back from the supermarket, the kids to school and the clubs to the local golf course.

So with the latest incarnation of the Land Cruiser, it is tasked with being more refined and with improved on-road manners and more home comforts. Of course, it faces tough competition from the current Land Rover Defender, and - to some extent - from the Ineos Grenadier.

There are also a number of accomplished prestige SUVs such as the BMW X5, Audi Q7, Range Rover and Mercedes GLE which focus more on luxury than mountaineering.

Certainly, it would appear the Land Cruiser designers have got the looks right - bold and butch, it appears every inch an adventurer, but there's nothing offensive about the curved lines and tall stance.

With seven seats as standard, it fits the bill for families.

The cabin is smart and functional rather than luxurious with plenty of plastic mouldings and decent quality fitments that appear sturdy. Storage space is less generous than you'd hope for with skinny door pockets and not a huge number of places to house the usual odds and ends.

Ample leg and headroom in the front and the second row of seats, while the third row is fine for kids or adults on short runs. Entry to the final row is easy enough via the large rear doors, Boot space with the back row folded is an acceptable 566 litres.

Happily, the tailgate of the new model lifts up rather than opens sideways, making loading much easier. The electric action, though, is somewhat slow - an irritation in pouring rain!

Although on global markets various engines are offered, in Britain the only option is a diesel 2.8-litre four-cylinder which, in terms of refinement and energy, doesn't match up well to competition from smoother, more powerful six-cylinder petrol units.

On the positive side, there's ample torque and pick up in high gear is good.

It pushes out around 200bhp giving acceleration to 62mph in under 11 seconds, putting it among the more leisurely off-roaders. It's coupled to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Driven sedately, most owners can expect to nudge 30mpg, but demanding off-road work will see this figure sink to closer 20mpg,

The new chassis is substantially more rigid than previously and this benefits both the on-road ride and when you're tackling the rough. There's some body roll on bends but not sufficient to disturb passengers.

There are various drive modes to suit the surface you are travelling over or you can use the low-range gearbox as well as central and rear locking differential. Four-wheel drive is permanent.

With no less than 70 years of heritage to call on, the Land Cruiser remains an icon for adventurers. The latest version loses none of its ruggedness but widens its appeal through improved on-road behaviour and better equipment.

£79,995

2.8-litre, 4 cyl, 204bhp diesel engine driving all 4 wheels via automatic gearbox

109mph

10.9sec

26.7

48

: 276g/km

37%

3yrs/60,000 miles

4.3