Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series earns its police stripes

Police fleets across Australia are also stuck in the queue for the new Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series. The first example in NSW has clocked-on for duty two years after the latest model went on sale.

The Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series has finally earned its police stripes – two years after the latest model went on sale.

A brand-new example has hit the road in NSW as part of a final trial by police fleet operators before being rolled out to regional areas across the state.

The late arrival of the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series shows police are also stuck in the customer queue which stretches up to two years.

Above and below: A Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series being evaluated by NSW Police. Photo copyright: Kilo Hotel Photography, used here with permission.

While police prefer the bare-bones, five-seat GX version of the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series – now powered by a twin-turbo 3.3-litre V6 diesel and 10-speed auto which replaces, and is faster than, the twin-turbo 4.5-litre diesel V8 and six-speed auto – the wait times for fancier models are starting to come down.

Customers waiting for a new Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series have reported on social media the queues are getting shorter, with some buyers taking delivery of cancelled orders within weeks rather than months or years.

It’s suspected an increasing number of deals for the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series have fallen over amid rising interest rates, which has pushed others to the top of the queue.

In the meantime, police in NSW are putting the finishing touches on the general duties version of the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, which photos show is equipped with a snorkel and bullbar, as well as the usual police equipment.

The Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series is expected to be deployed in coastal and regional areas where heavy-duty four-wheel-drives are necessary to respond to emergencies.

This example – wearing “FLT” (fleet) markings – was spotted near Sutherland police station, in Sydney’s south, which covers nearby beaches and bushland as part of its patrol area.

The Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series is also expected to rolled out to far west towns such as Dubbo, Broken Hill and beyond.

The NSW Police Highway Patrol division has previously had a fleet of about a dozen Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series to cover remote areas.

Given the twin-turbo V6 diesel in the new Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series is faster and more efficient than the twin-turbo V8 in the previous generation Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series, the new model may also be deployed for limited use in highway patrol work, though this is yet to be determined.

For now, though, the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series is intended to be used for general duties police work in NSW as well as a number of specialist divisions such as the Public Order and Riot Squad and tactical response teams.

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