What is better than a Land Cruiser Namib? A Max3…

South African ingenuity is highly regarded in the realm of armoured vehicles design, especially when it applies to bakkies.

Combining the inarguable ruggedness of Toyota’s Land Cruiser 70-Series platform with an innovative new cab design, the SVI Max 3 is South Africa’s latest armoured all-terrain offering. And best of all, you can operate one with a standard driver’s licence.

Available in all three 70-Series configurations (single-, double-cab and station wagon), the Max 3’s steel cab is designed and manufactured in South Africa, by SVI. The claim is B6 level ballistic passenger protection, which means it should resist large calibre assault rifle bullets from an AK-47 or R1/FN FAL.

SVI can reinforce the steel cab and its glass elements even further, to a B7 grading, if an owner requires even more blast protection.

The design is completely utilitarian, with squared proportions and surface edges designed to offer excellent bullet resistance, instead of crumple zones or slick aerodynamics. A curious feature is the lack ofa conventional front bumper, with the Max 3 featuring a deep grille, framed by edge bumpers at each side.

To compensate for the Max 3’s increased mass, SVI has fitted an appropriate suspension component upgrade and tyres with a greater load rating.

Powering this Land Cruiser platform armoured vehicle is the proven Toyota 4.5-litre V8 turbodiesel, boosting 151 kW and 430 Nm. Perhaps the most appealing element of this SVI Max 3 product concept, is that all the core mechanical service items can be purchased from your local Toyota dealer.

SVI is marketing the baseline SVI Max 3 at R1.6m. And yes, that is quite a bit more than a Land Cruiser Namib edition double-cab.

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