Land Cruisers have always offered a dichotomy: They’re Toyota’s most posh and luxurious SUVs on the road, yet also its most capable in the dirt. The all-new 2008 Cruiser is certainly no exception to that long-standing rule. Toyota says the development time for an all-new Land Cruiser is essentially double that of a normal passenger car because of the extensive field testing required to make sure Land Cruisers can survive the harsh environments around the world. And the new one feels every bit as bulletproof and capable as its predecessors.

We put these new rigs to the test recently on a fairly serious off-road course in Big Sky, Montana, and found the new Cruiser to be one of the easiest 4X4s to drive over extreme terrain. Much of its four-wheeling talent comes from great gearing, a chassis with excellent wheel travel and some serious trick technology. (Check out test-drive video here; full review continues below...)

The new truck is slightly longer and wider then before but maintains the 112.2-in. wheelbase for maneuverability. The all-new, body-on-frame chassis uses an independent front suspension with a beefy new 8.7-in. front differential and a four-link, coil-sprung suspension in the rear with a solid axle and 9.5-in. diff. These are fairly beefy components for a truck of this size. The new suspension design allowed for increased front- and rear-wheel travel, too. And the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, which was previously only available on the Lexus GX 470, can essentially loosen the swaybar’s grip on the suspension for extra axle articulation off-road, or firm up like a conventional swaybar for pavement use.

When one of the big 285/60R18 tires does loose traction in the dirt, Toyota’s four-wheel traction control system steps in. This is one of the best systems we’ve ever encountered because it senses tire slippage quickly and does its work unobtrusively. Since traction control systems use the brakes to slow wheel slip, they can typically overheat very quickly in rough terrain—usually within a few minutes, from our experience. Toyota says its system can be used continuously in extreme terrain for up to 12 minutes at a time—impressive. But the neatest 4WD feature about the new Land Cruiser is the Crawl Control, while is like a cruise control system for off-road driving. Turn the dial to one of three preset ultra-low speeds, and the Land Cruiser will maintain that speed uphill or downhill, leaving just one responsibility for the driver: steering. It’s an amazing feature, and it gives the Cruiser tractor-like capability. But it does take a bit of the challenge away from recreational four wheeling.

On the road, the 5700-pound Land Cruiser is surprisingly quick, thanks to the standard 381-hp, 5.7-liter V8 (from the Tundra) mated to a six-speed automatic. This is a big, heavy truck in every sense of the word, so the estimated 13/18-mpg city/highway fuel economy isn’t surprising. Other markets will get a diesel version, and we’d like to see a diesel here, too. But the beefy new chassis combined with the strong powertrain allowed Toyota to up the Land Cruiser’s towing capacity to the full-size pickup range at 8500 pounds. Don’t expect the Cruiser to have the kind of handling poise you’d find in a Highlander. The long travel suspension and chassis heft means there’s plenty of body roll when you try to mix speed with corners in this SUV. Still, when driven sedately, the Cruiser is a comfy companion.

Inside, the new Land Cruiser is just as luxurious as always—and the options list is slim. There’s a new DVD navigation system with an integrated, 605-watt JBL audio system, backup camera and Bluetooth connectivity. The Country Club option package includes a more inclusive wood and leather package, a Cool Box center console, second row seat heaters, rear spoiler and headlamp cleaners. And all Land Cruisers come with 10 airbags—the most of any Toyota. Pricing has not been set, but expect to pay well north of $45,000 for a fully loaded model. Hey, this level of refinement and capability doesn’t come cheap. —Ben Stewart