Toyota has revealed the new Land Cruiser 70, bringing back one of the oldest iterations of its classic 4×4 platform.
The Land Cruiser (LC) 70 was originally launched in 1984 and has since been expanded upon with a range of alternate offerings, such as the long-wheelbase Land Cruiser 79 bakkie that many South Africans will be familiar with.
The new LC 70 was announced this week at Toyota’s global premiere event alongside the next-generation Prado and is scheduled to make its initial appearance in its home country of Japan in 2024.
Toyota South Africa confirmed to cars.co.za that the 4×4 is “on the cards” for our market, but that it currently has no details on a possible model line-up or launch date.
What we know so far
The biggest change to the LC 70 line-up is the addition of the brand’s 2.8-litre, turbocharged diesel engine, which is currently employed by the Hilux, Fortuner, and Prado.
Toyota has not confirmed the full list of powertrains that the 70 will eventually be equipped with, but it’s worth noting that the Australian model will be sold with the same 4.5-litre, V8 turbo-diesel found on the current LC 79, according to Motor1.com.
It also bears mentioning that the South African LC 79 has access to two other engines in the form of a naturally-aspirated 4.0-litre V6 petrol or a 4.2-litre diesel.
For reference, this is the output of each of the engines found on the current models:
- 2.8-litre turbo-diesel – 150kW/500Nm
- 4.0-litre petrol – 170kW/360Nm
- 4.2-litre diesel – 96kW/285Nm
- 4.5-litre turbo-diesel – 151kW/430Nm
The choice of engine is also likely to determine which gearboxes we’ll have access to, as the 2.8-litre will feature a six-speed automatic, while all three of the current 79 units are exclusively paired with a five-speed manual.
Beyond its drivetrain selection, the carmaker has confirmed that, depending on the market, updates on the seven-seater take the form of a 6.7-inch multimedia system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, a 4.2-inch multi-information driver display, as well as new safety features like lane-keep assist, automatic headlights, and speed sign recognition.
In the cosmetics department, the new Toyota sports a redesigned grille and circular headlights replacing the rectangular clusters of past models, in addition to redesigned alloy wheels.
The company also revealed the dimensions of its prototype model, clocking in at a length of 4,890mm, a width of 1,870mm, a height of 1,920mm, and a wheelbase measuring 2,730mm. As a result, it’s 20mm shorter and lower than the current model.
Toyota Land Cruiser 70
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