We never got the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series in the United States, and it’s a damn shame. Instead we got the Land Cruiser 60 series, which for all intents and purposes, was squarely aimed at the Jeep Grand Wagoneer: a highly functional off-roader that was comfortable. Anyone who has read National Geographic or has watched nearly any naturalist show has seen Land Cruisers as they should be: A rugged do-anything vehicle in the same vein as the original Willys Jeep. The FJ40 Land Cruiser is the closest, but the 70 Series is just as good and has a wider model range. Now, Toyota is going to make new 70 series Land Cruisers, in SUV and crew-cab pickup configurations, for one year only, for Japan only.
Yep, Japan is not sending us a single solitary one. Nor are they sending any of the new ones to Australia or the U.K., where they got the older Cruisers and know what they are missing. How annoying is this? Wouldn’t you like your chance to own one of these beasts? I would! According to Toyota, the frame is upgrades “with 30 years of upgrades” for increased rigidity and durability, the interior has been upgraded to meet safety standards yet retains a classic look, and a 4.0L V6 will take care of the power train. Priced roughly at $35,000, it even comes in as a decent deal, especially once you factor in all of the costs involved with updating and producing a 30+ year old vehicle.
Meanwhile, here in America, we will just let the bloated marshmallow of a Land Cruiser do what it does best: Sit as a cheap alternative to a similarly fat-assed Lexus and scour Craigslist for a savable FJ40.
Come on guys. This sort of badly researched article is what we expect from other sites.
The 70 series has been available in SUV and double cab, as well as cab chassis and “troopcarrier” formats in Australia for a couple of years now.
http://www.toyota.com.au/landcruiser-70-series#double-cab-chasis
really? read a bit more carefully mate…. ` Nor are they sending any of the new ones to Australia or the U.K., where they got the older Cruisers and know what they are missing ‘ they DO say we got the older models, just not this new model……
toymotahs are bitchin’ (well at least the biggies are..) a few years ago I had a work trip to do – if you are interested, go on google maps – Adelaide South Australia to Port Lincoln (around a 12 hour drive) then Lincoln to Leigh Creek ( I dunno, maybe 14 hours?) then thru the bush back to Wilpena Pound – honestly, maybe 6 hours of no roads cross country creek beds etc – utterly wild….all in a Toyota troop carrier which is like an earlier model of this thing. Utterly unkillable and total fun. It helps when you don’t own it but honestly the punishment I put that thing through, with no dramas or damage whatsoever….
Oops, I retract the first half of my comment. That’s what happens when you read tabloid automotive sites, headus upas anuns.
Would be curious to see just what the new model actually is, if it’s the 4.0L V6 then forget it, the V8 turbo diesel is “better”.
I’d still take a tried and true 1HZ-TE or 1HD-TE I6 over the VD-FTV V8 or 1GR-FE V6. Or even a trusty ol’ 14B-T
Nonetheless, I’d own any 70 series in a heartbeat, even an LJ70 or an RJ70.
It also states in the article its the 4.0L……