The Toyota Land Cruiser Troop Carrier (affectionately called Troopy by Aussies) is an off-road institution in Australia so it’s often used as a benchmark when testing other vehicles off the beaten track.
That’s exactly what Cars Guide’s Marcus Craft did to assess the new Suzuki Jimny’s off-road capability. The reviewer took the two boxy SUVs in the wild and tested them on sand, across water crossings and up steep, rocky hills to find out which will come out on top.
Right from the start, you should know the J70-based two-door Land Cruiser Troop Carrier is still on sale in Australia, despite its 1980s styling. It packs a 4.5-liter turbo diesel V8 engine rated at 151 kW (202 hp/205 PS) and 430 Nm (317 lb-ft) of torque. Those numbers are way higher than the Jimny’s 101 hp (102 PS) and 130 Nm (96 lb-ft) from a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine.
Also watch: 2019 Suzuki Jimny Tackles Motocross Terrain, Emerges Victorious
However, the tiny Jimny is much lighter, tipping the scales at just 1,135 kg (2,502 lbs). That’s less than half the Troopy GXL’s curb weight of 2,325 kg (5,125 lbs). In theory, the smaller footprint should make the Jimny much more agile off the beaten track.
The review confirms that theory, at least on sand where the tiny off-roader is a hoot to drive. The Land Cruiser Troopy does water crossing better than the Jimny though, and it’s more suitable for long-distance trips to remote areas since it’s got two fuel tanks totaling 180 liters (47.5 US gallons).
Head over to the video for the complete review but don’t expect to find a winner because these two vehicles are equally fantastic in their own ways.