The 70 series Toyota Landcruiser celebrates its 40th anniversary in 1985 and remains astonishingly popular in many global markets. It sells well enough that Toyota continues to invest in the modelIt gets a new five-speed manual transmission, but loses its V8 engine.
The 4.5-liter turbodiesel V8 was launched in 2007 and will remain in production until Toyota fulfills all outstanding orders. The brand has a significant backlog to work through: it stopped taking orders for the engine nearly two years ago. The last examples of the V8-powered wagon, Troop Carrier, WorkMate and GX models will be built in September 2024, while the 79 Series will lose its eight-cylinder engine at the end of 2025.
Toyota explained that the decision to drop the turbodiesel V8 was “unavoidable due to changing regulations.” Sean Hanley, vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations for Toyota’s Australian division, said “the only alternative was to get rid of this model — and that wasn’t an option.” Toyota sold 346,742 units of the 70 Series in Australia since 1985, of which 171,010 with the V8 engine.
Looking ahead, the 70 Series will be offered exclusively with a 2.8-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder announced in 2023Borrowed from the Hilux pickup, it makes 201 horsepower from 3,200 to 3,400 rpm and 331 pound-feet of torque between 1,600 and 3,000 rpm. For context, the outgoing V8 made 202 horsepower at 3,400 rpm and 316 pound-feet of torque at 1,200 rpm. Starting in October 2024, the turbo-four will be mated to a beefier evolution of the V8’s five-speed manual transmission with specific ratios. Toyota shortened first, second and third gears for better road-going performance, and added a taller fifth gear for better fuel economy and less noise on the highway.
Pricing and performance details will be announced later in 2024. Although the 70 Series is one of the oldest SUVs on the market, by a margin of more than a mile, its ruggedness and off-road capabilities are timeless. It’s particularly popular in the Australian market, and the Red Cross relies on the 70 Series in countries with poor roads. There’s no indication we’ll see the model here, though.