Compared to the current 'ordinary' Land Cruiser, the 100 VX 'big' one is maybe a little old-fashioned looking. But that doesn't say it is not imposing.

Because this flagship Land Cruiser has a very strong presence on the road.

Everything else about it is strong too. Including the price. At around €109,000 it is right up there at Range Rover level. And in car price terms, think BMW 7 Series.

The style has been around for six years, and two years ago there was a minor upgrade involving among other things a new front bumper and a redesigned grille. It is big and fairly square, in what could be called a classic format. For the record, at 4890mm long, it is mucho car. There are details and colours that enhance its inate elegance. But the essentials are toughness and luxury that can live together.

In the Irish market there's just one option. This is powered by a 4.2-litre 6-pot turbodiesel engine that lopes the car along with 200bhp and a whopping 420Nm of torque that is available from as low as 1200rpm. It is managed by a 4-speed automatic gearbox.

It rides high on the semi-active Toyota Electronically Modulated Suspension with Active Height Control which is tuned soften the shock absorbers on bumpy roads.

A Toyota innovation, Variable Gear Ratio Steering, improves stability and handling by matching steering response to speed and driving conditions. It gives a more stable response at high speeds, a more positive feel when changing lanes or driving on winding roads, and reduced lock to lock when parking or making U-turns.

Inside is all leather and wood-finish, with a substantial centre stack and instrumentation that uses the Toyota Optitron system. The wheel automatically moves away from the driver when the ignition key is removed and returns when the ignition is switched on. The power seats can memorise two positions with the door mirrors and steering column also set precisely for each driving position.

There's a premium audio system featuring an in-dashboard 6 CD player with radio and cassette deck, equipped with Automatic Sound Leveliser (ASL), that senses the road noise level and adjusts volume and tone accordingly.

The Rear Seat Audio system allows rear seat passengers to make their own choice of music source, independently from the front audio deck.

This is a 7-seater, though the two backmost seats are strapped up to the sides when not in use rather than being folded into the floor, and this intrudes into luggage capacity. They can be removed altogether if carrying seven is not required.

On the road (for various logistical reasons I wasn't able to try it off-road this time, but going on historical experience in Land Cruisers, this 'King of the SUVs' will go anywhere that many of its ilk will balk at), I found it a very comfortable beast indeed to use. The bulk didn't interfere with ease of use, and the all-round visibility from the substantial glass content was a boon in traffic.

The engine was well muted, and in most situations the passengers wouldn't even be aware that there's a diesel pulling them along.

Alll those handling and steering gizmos I've mentioned above must work, because the experience in the 100 VX is right up there with Range Rover and many high-end luxury cars.

The only downside for some are the plain looks. But for many of us, that is actually an upside. And I suspect that the classic style of this one will endure for much longer than the more sexy look offered by some of the competition.

Because the Toyota is first and foremost a working vehicle, that just happens to be very luxurious as well.