Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Back On Sale With A 2.8L Diesel AT In Australia

Toyota had paused bookings for the Land Cruiser 70 Series in Australia last year due to supply side issues and mandated emission upgrades

For the Australian Outback and other demanding applications such as mining and agriculture, users trust only a handful of vehicles. One of these is the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series, which was first launched in 1984. While other Land Cruiser models such as the 200 and 300 Series evolved into luxury SUVs, the 70 Series retained its utilitarian character. The 70 Series has now been updated to comply with the stricter Euro 6d emission norms.

Land Cruiser 70 Series bookings reopen in Australia

Bookings are currently open for the 70 Series Land Cruiser in Australia. One can expect robust demand, as has historically been the case for this model. To comply with stricter emission norms, Toyota had replaced the legendary 4.5-litre 1VD-FTV Turbo-Diesel V8 powering the 70 Series with the 1GD-FTV 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel in 2024. The V8 was preferred for its mechanical simplicity and reliability, a must-have for the Australian Outback.

However, its discontinuation was unavoidable due to the stricter emission norms. The 2.8-litre unit is the same engine currently in use with the Hilux and Fortuner in India. Emission norms have been further upgraded in Australia to Euro 6d. For that, Toyota has introduced the necessary changes to the 70 Series Land Cruiser. One of these updates is the addition of a 20-litre AdBlue tank.

This is part of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, where a liquid urea solution (AdBlue) is used to reduce Nitrogen Oxide emissions. Diesel engines are known to produce high amounts of Nitrogen Oxides. Toyota has also reduced the fuel tank capacity of the 78-Series, from 180 litres to 130 litres. This could have made space for the AdBlue tank. The 130 litre fuel tank of 78-Series is now the same as other 70 Series models.

Due to the smaller fuel tank, the overall range will see a significant drop in the 78-Series. Moreover, since the 70 Series now uses a more advanced electronics platform, navigating the remote Outback can become a daunting prospect if something suddenly fails. So, while AdBlue helps reduce emissions, it can be a limitation for 70 Series users in the Australian Outback.

Land Cruiser 70 Series – Performance

With the updated 70 Series, the performance numbers are the same as earlier. The 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine generates 201 hp and 500 Nm of torque. The 2.8-litre diesel makes more torque than the old V8 engine and it also peaks much lower in the rev range. Toyota is currently offering only a 6-speed automatic transmission with the 70 Series.

The earlier 78-Series, 79-Series double-cab chassis and 76-Series GXL models, which had a 5-speed manual transmission, are currently not on offer. It is not certain if the manual option will be reintroduced.

To fill the AdBlue tank, the updated 70 Series Land Cruiser dual-cab chassis models have a refuelling flap on the front left fender. For the single cab variants, this refuelling flap is installed between the cab and the rear wheels. Off-roading and towing capabilities remain largely unchanged with the updated 70 Series Land Cruiser.