Toyota has confirmed the LandCruiser 70-Series will be offered with a four-cylinder turbo diesel engine and automatic transmission. As part of a major overhaul, the radical new combo will have more grunt than the V8 that continues in the brand’s most hardcore off-roader.
What’s the story?
The first auto LandCruiser 70-Series ever will arrive in the fourth quarter of 2023 and utilise the familiar 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine also available in the Hilux, Fortuner and Prado.
It’ll also do without the bonnet scoop that has been a feature of the 70-Series since it switched to the V8 engine in 2007.
The new four-cylinder 70-Series comes as part of a model update that includes revised styling, particularly up front.
There are new front guards, new front bumper, a new bonnet and a new grille as well as blacked out alloy wheels.
The indicators also protrude from stalks and are separate to the main headlights.
And, of course, the bonnet scoop has disappeared from four-cylinder models, suggesting the intercooler is now placed up front rather than on top of the engine.
What about the V8, mate?
However, the rugged off-roader retains the utilitarian look that has long defined the model preferred by mining fleets and farmers. It will also still be offered with the V8 and five-speed auto combination that has been a hit with owners.
Those fleets are no doubt a big part of the reason Toyota has decided to offer a four-cylinder.
While the 4.5-litre single turbo V8 makes some nice noises and has the aura that comes with a V8, it’s undernourished with just 151kW and 430Nm.
Of course, many buyers bung on a new exhaust and tweak the ECU to give outputs far higher than that.
But the mining companies that are big buyers of 70-Series get stuck with the standard outputs – and having to shift gears themselves.
Enter the new (OK, so we first saw it in 2015, but it’s new to the 70) 2.8-litre four-cylinder.
As in other Toyota models it makes 150kW and 500Nm, the latter comfortably outdoing the output of the V8 (and it’s only 1kW down on power compared with the V8).
It’ll be exclusively mated to a six-speed automatic.
The same, but different
There will still be four body styles: 76-Series wagon, 78-Series Troop Carrier and 79-Series single- and dual-cab utes.
The single-cab ute will be available as a Workmate, GX and GXL while the dual-cab, wagon and Troopy will be offered as a Workmate or GXL.
Inside, the four-cylinder models get a larger centre binnacle to accommodate the auto shift lever.
Plus, there’s a larger (but still small) 6.7-inch central infotainment screen incorporating Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The slider ventilation controls remain as does the analogue instrument cluster, although the latter has been redesigned to have a tad less of the 1980s look of the previous one.
There are also additional safety features that most 70-Series buyers likely won’t care about; they include lane departure warning, speed sign recognition and auto high beams.
Tell ’em the price
Further details and pricing will be announced closer to the Q4 2023 arrival date.
However, given Toyota’s spout of price increases we’d be expecting the newcomer to creep north from the current car’s $71,000 plus on-road costs starting price.
