Toyota Will Keep Upgrading The Immortal Land Cruiser 70 Series

While the brand-new Land Cruiser 300 is making headlines right now, we shouldn’t forget that another model bearing the same name keeps making Toyota proud. We are talking about the Land Cruiser 70 Series which was first launched back in 1984 but is still available in Australia and in the Middle East. What is interesting, is that the capable off-roader is getting a major update sometime in the next 12 months, allowing it to march on.

Speaking with a Toyota spokesperson, Australian media Motoring came to the conclusion that the Land Cruiser will get safer by adopting features already found on the single-cab variant since 2016. Those will include a stronger ladder frame, additional airbags and the adoption of safety features (VSC/TRAC, BA, EBD, and HAC) that would allow the 70 Series dual-cab, the 76 Series wagon, and the 78 Series troop carrier to match the single-cab’s five-star ANCAP rating.

See Also: Toyota Re-Makes Original Land Cruiser 70 for One Year in Japan

The safety upgrade is necessary in order for the Land Cruiser to comply with new pole side impact regulations affecting all passenger cars, vans, SUVs, and LCVs sold new in Australia starting from November 2022. Toyota stated that none of the vehicles classified in the “light goods vehicle” (NA) category including the Land Cruiser 70 and the Hilux, will be affected by the regulation, due to “careful forward planning”.

Another way around the issue would be to increase the gross vehicle mass to exceed the 3.5-tonne mark in order to classify the Land Cruiser 70 as a “medium goods vehicle” (NB). This would require suspension changes but it could also allow an increase in payload and towing capacity.

Either way, the Land Cruiser 70 is probably sticking with the turbocharged 4.5-liter V8 diesel producing  202 hp (151 kW / 205 PS) and 430Nm (317 lb-ft) of torque, as its current Euro 5 emission rating is good for up to 2027 when Australia will jump to the Euro 6 emission protocol.

The 2022 update won’t be the first for the 70 Series. Toyota is constantly improving the model, bringing it up to date with modern standards in terms of safety, emission, and features. As an example, the most recent 2020 update included a 6.1-inch infotainment touchscreen bringing navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, and USB ports in the old truck’s interior.

“As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we have plans to continue to update the specifications of this model in the next major update, the details of which will be revealed in due course,” said the Japanese automaker. And in case you’re wondering why Toyota is keeping the Land Cruiser 70 Series on sale it is because people are still buying them: more than 10,000 units of car are sold in Australia each year, with around 300,000 recorded sales from 1985 to date.