Rugged off-roaders go head-to-head

摘要

While many manufacturers have sportified their 4x4s into bulbous road-goers, Toyota and Mitsubishi have had the conviction to stick to their rugged roots. Oliver Mark and James Andrews get back to basics with the latest Land Cruiser Utility and ShogunSport.Over the multiple generations of its iconic Land Cruiser, Toyota has resisted the urge to put road manners and curb appeal ahead of mud-plugging ability.So much so that with its latest incarnation, the firm has introduced a model that does away with the fripperies and concentrates purely on the important stuff. That means the Utility-badged version has no leather trim, no cameras, no fancy infotainment nonsense and no polished alloys to worry about. However, it does get the same engine, transmission, tough ladder chassis and most of the running gear as its pricier siblings - the most expensive of which commands a ￡17,000 premium.