Long in the tooth? Dinosaur? Outdated? All those terms are either foreign or nonexistent in the realm of the Land Cruisers. In fact, this vehicle is timeless and is a South African staple that has many Mzansi hearts. So, in a healthy bid to keep this great relationship going, Toyota has given the Land Cruiser 70 Series range an update for the new year.
The update in the lineup consists of pricing adjustments for the various forms in which one can obtain this vehicle, mainly the double cab, single, and station wagon, which I will get to in a few because Toyota has given the customer more peace of mind by introducing a standard service plan across the full Land Cruiser 70 Series range.
This standard service plan covers up to 9 services or 90 000 km for most derivatives, while the 4.2-litre diesel models benefit from 18 services over 90 000 km due to shorter service intervals. The range continues to be backed by a 3-year / 100 000 km warranty.
Many Ouus and AAAHs came from the announcement of the discontinuation of the 4.5-litre V8 diesel engine in pick-up models, with production having concluded last year. This means that in its place will sit the tried and tested 2.8-litre GD turbo-diesel engine, a decision that falls in line with Toyota's aim of expanding the availability of the 2.8 GD turbo-diesel powertrain and aligning the line-up with Toyota’s broader global shift to smaller, more efficient engine technologies.
Do not cry too much because one could still opt for a V configuration engine in the form of a 4.0-litre V6 petrol and 4.2-litre naturally aspirated diesel on select models, alongside the 2.8-litre GD turbo-diesel, available with both manual (5-speed manual) and automatic transmissions (6-speed automatic). The 2.8 GD engine delivers 150 kW of power, with torque outputs of up to 500 Nm in automatic derivatives and 450 Nm in manual variants.
The Land Cruiser 70 Series pricing is as follows:
Land Cruiser 79 Single Cab
4.0 Petrol 5MT – R840 900
4.2 Diesel 5MT – R910 600
2.8 GD-6 Diesel 5MT – R974 300
2.8 GD-6 Diesel 6AT – R1 007 600
Land Cruiser 79 Double Cab
4.0 Petrol 5MT – R949 800
4.2 Diesel 5MT – R1 011 500
2.8 GD-6 Diesel 5MT – R1 078 000
2.8 GD-6 Diesel 6AT – R1 108 400
Land Cruiser 70 Station Wagon
78 4.2 Diesel 5MT – R988 800
76 2.8 GD-6 Diesel 5MT – R1 065 300
76 2.8 GD-6 Diesel 6AT – R1 098 400
76 2.8 GD-6 VX Diesel 6AT – R1 199 000