Toyota sells the big-boy Land Cruiser 300 only in certain markets, including at home in Japan. The go-anywhere SUV has been on sale for nearly four years, so an update was in order. Changes have occurred inside the cabin, where the digital instrument cluster has been bumped from 4.2 to 7 inches. Exciting stuff, I know. However, the most notable change is atop the center console. No, that’s not a Nintendo DS.
Before the facelift, the Land Cruiser’s basic infotainment system had a 9-inch touchscreen. The new display is not only smaller at 8 inches, but it has also lost the physical buttons that once flanked the screen. As a result, what remains is arguably the widest screen bezel we’ve ever seen. Our Japanese may be rusty, but after thoroughly reviewing the manual, we found no mention of capacitive touch buttons on either side of the screen.
Photo by: Toyota
2025 Toyota Land Cruiser with the basic infotainment
Photo by: Toyota
2022 Toyota Land Cruiser with the basic infotainment
The accompanying images clearly show the display is on, yet there’s no sign of touch controls. Either way, it looks shockingly cheap. Although the volume knob remains, Toyota has removed the tune knob–so much for symmetry. What makes it worse is that the Land Cruiser isn’t some cheap kei car where Toyota could justify such a layout. It’s the company’s flagship SUV, and we have a feeling most owners will spring for the larger 12.3-inch touchscreen.
In other news, the LC 300 was one of the few new cars sold with a CD/DVD player. With the 2025 update, it has been deleted, making way for an HDMI port to play your multimedia content. These days, only a handful of vehicles still support compact discs, and they’re mostly Japanese cars from Subaru and Lexus.
For the 2025 model year, the JDM Land Cruiser 300 starts at 5,252,500 yen or about $35,000 at current exchange rates. Opt for the range-topping GR Sport and you’re paying 8,136,700 yen ($54,000).
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Source: Toyota
