39-year-old Toyota Land Cruiser 70 gets major updates in Australia

The new Toyota Land Cruiser wears a retro-inspired design that borrows styling cues from previous generations of the nameplate. One is the 70-Series model, which was released in 1984, remains in production and just received the what's arguably the biggest update of its career.

Hugely popular in Australia, among other overseas markets, the venerable 70-Series gets a redesigned front end that's ironically almost retro. Round headlights make a comeback (the outgoing truck features rectangular headlights), and the front turn signals once again poke out of the fenders. Not much has changed from the side, the 70 is still shaped like the box it came in, and not a lot has changed out back.

Buyers still have three versions called Double Cab, Troop Carrier and Wagon, respectively, to choose from, and all benefit from major interior changes. Toyota redesigned the steering wheel, the instrument cluster and the center console in the name of ergonomics, and the center stack now houses a 6.7-inch touchscreen that displays an infotainment system compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Driving aids, which the 70-Series has largely been immune to up until this point, make an appearance as well. Land Cruiser drivers will be able to count on a lane departure warning system, speed limit recognition technology and automatic high beams, among other features.

For the first time, the 70-Series is available with an automatic transmission. The six-speed is bolted to a 2.8-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine used elsewhere in Toyota's global range and tuned to develop 201 horsepower at 3,400 rpm and 369 pound-feet of torque from 1,600 to 2,800 rpm. The other engine option is the 4.5-liter turbodiesel V8 that has been available for several years. Offered exclusively with a five-speed manual transmission, the eight-cylinder makes 202 horsepower at 3,400 rpm and 317 pound-feet of torque from 1,200 to 3,200 rpm. 

Toyota dealers across Australia will begin receiving the updated 70 Series in the fourth quarter of 2023. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but it's of little interest to us because nothing suggests the truck will be sold in the United States. We can't have every Land Cruiser, sadly.

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