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Line up of legendary Land Cruiser 70 scaled back to four core models
Toyota New Zealand has confirmed that the model line-up of the legendary Land Cruiser 70 has been simplified with four core models now available to New Zealand customers.
As part of the move to keep the Land Cruiser 70 heritage whilst reducing carbon emissions, all Land Cruiser 70 will be available with the latest generation Toyota Diesel powertrain technology and will be powered exclusively by the hugely successful 1GD 4 cylinder 2.8L turbo diesel automatic.
This means the discontinuation of the 4.5L V8 engine and manual transmission options. Orders closed during April and vehicles are no longer available.
Andrew Davis, Chief Strategic Officer, said the time had come to finally retire the V8-powered Land Cruiser 70.
“We acknowledge it was a legendary powertrain, but we are confident the complete switch to the 1GD 4-cylinder and auto transmission gives a better option for customers. This powertrain will offer better in-use performance with a smoother operation and better ride quality which customers have been quick to praise” he says.
Andrew Davis says the Land Cruiser 70 is the true workhorse of the Toyota ute and wagon range and will be available in four grades – the LT ute with either a two-door single cab or four-door double cab, the LX double cab ute and the LX wagon.
“The single and double cab Land Cruiser 70s are incredibly resilient and tough vehicles. While the range has been updated in the past year to carry LED headlights, cruise control, and touchscreens, the core of the vehicle is relatively unchanged with a strong ladder chassis design and build quality and durability second to none. Land Cruiser 70 is literally designed and built to go places and tackle those tough jobs right across New Zealand,” he says.
The Land Cruiser 70 was first offered with the 1GD engine in 2024. The engine, which also features in the Hilux, Hiace and Land Cruiser Prado, has a combined town and country fuel economy of 10.6L/100km and a combined exhaust emissions of 279g/km compared to 316g/km for the V8. Output from the 1GD vs the V8 is not compromised, with the four-pot turbo diesel producing 150kW compared to 151kW of the V8. Importantly for a vehicle like the Land Cruiser 70, torque has increased significantly, with 500Nm from the 1GD and 430Nm from the old V8.
“From a pure numbers point of view, the 1GD-powered Land Cruiser 70 proves itself to be more than capable, with a significant bump in torque, similar power and the same towing capability as the old power unit.
“Kiwi customers, including farmers, foresters, builders and off-road enthusiasts, can continue to rely on the 70 Series to cover the most inhospitable terrain and complete the toughest jobs – just as they’ve done for the past 40 years,” he says.