New 300 Series LandCruiser joins Dubai's police fleet

Less than a month after being officially unveiled to the world, the new Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series has found its way into Dubai's fleet of law enforcement vehicles, well ahead of its on-road release.

The most populous city in the United Arab Emirates has scored at least two of the new LC300s, one for its police department and another for the Civil Defence Forces, both believed to be powered by the turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine which isn't going to be available in Australia for now.

Although unlikely to be the fastest car in a fleet which includes McLarens, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and a Bugatti Veyron, the LandCruiser should be one of the more capable vehicles off-road, having lost 200kg over its 200 Series predecessor but retained the same departure and approach angles.

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The reveal of the two law enforcement LC300s coincided with Toyota UAE's delivery of the first 50 units to customers, being greeted with fireworks and an escort from both Dubai Police and Civil Defence.

Toyota seems to have a strong relationship with the Middle Eastern market at the moment, given it was the brand's Bahrain arm which was the first to tease the official arrival of the LC300 in a Twitter post earlier this month.

When the LC300 arrives in Australia towards the end of the year, it will be powered by a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel, the 227kW/700Nm donk replacing the 4.5-litre V8 engine which was available in the LC200.

Featuring a 10-speed automatic gearbox, the LC300 is full of updates over the outgoing model thanks to its new TNGA platform, including a new multi-terrain monitor and select system – allowing the driver to judge the road surface and change the vehicle's driving modes accordingly.