I am not one to apologise for 4x4s as there is no need. Most take up no more space on the road, use no more fuel and are no more environmentally-damaging than a comparable saloon or hatchback.

But even I confess to a twinge of guilt as I nosed Toyota's 2.2-tonne Land Cruiser into cycle-filled Little Clarendon Street. The 20-inch, deeply-grooved Dunlop GrandTrek tyres barely noticed the gentle speed cushion that greeted this awesome eight-seater at the entrance to this narrow thoroughfare.

A spray of buttons between the front seats allow comprehensive adjustment of the four-wheel-drive system allowing this jungle-crusher to electronically descend the sides of mountains as easily as it climbs.

So, admittedly, this vehicle possesses rather more techno-grunt than is absolutely necessary to traverse city streets.

Complex transmission put to one side, the Land Cruiser packs in plenty of positive qualities. It comes into its own as a late-night teenage taxi, when daughter rings for a lift home for herself and about six' friends.

As I mentioned earlier, this is an eight-seater, so it outguns most people carriers in its ability move folk around, and its height and it is high delivers a superior driving position, which is both safer and more relaxing, as surprises on the road ahead are kept to a minimum.

Electronics seem to control just about every aspect of the car from detailed street-by-street, full-colour DVD-navigation covering the whole of Western Europe, to the suspension system with five flick-of-the- switch settings, labelled from comfort to sport. I left it permanently on the sport setting, as the comfort setting, while fine for long distance motorway work, added too much wallow on country roads for my liking. A seven-inch dashboard colour screen, with a touch-sensitive panel, allows literal fingertip control of the navigation, audio system and air conditioning. More buttons control the rear suspension, which is height-adjustable making access to the rear a little easier. The optional five-speed automatic transmission fitted to the 3.0-litre, 164 horsepower turbo-diesel engine on the test car gives a lift to both performance and economy. While 4x4s may be on the receiving end of some current unwarranted criticism, it is worth remembering that the Land Cruiser has a long history.

It was the first Toyota car exported from Japan, 54 years ago. Since then more than four million have been produced and, despite the plethora of competing models in its sector, it is still selling well, with 11 factories producing the vehicle in nine countries, as far apart as Brazil and Bangladesh, Japan and Kenya. Love it or hate it, the Land Cruiser is here to stay.

Auto facts Toyota Land Cruiser D-4D 5dr auto

  • Price: £37,795
  • Insurance group: 14
  • Fuel consumption (Combined): 31.4mpg
  • Top speed: 109mph
  • Length: 485cm/190.9in
  • Width: 187.5cm/73.8in
  • Luggage capacity: 21.8 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 19.1 gallons/87 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 243g/km
  • Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles