Updated Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series confirmed for South Africa

Toyota has given its long-serving Land Cruiser 70 Series a refresh. The fourth facelift since this seemingly immortal off-roader first launched back in 1984, customers can look forward to a revised exterior, an advanced new diesel engine and various cabin upgrades. 

The business end of the Land Cruiser 70 has been transformed with the fitting of a new honeycomb radiator grille, circular LED headlights and a set of protruding indicator lights which are a nice stylistic throwback to the '80s original. Toyota has also streamlined the front bumper; a vast slab of black plastic that matches the protective fender extensions.

At the rear the taillight clusters have been moved from the sides of body down to the bumper; a design trick similar to what Suzuki pulled with their fourth-generation Jimny. It's a subtle reworking but one that endows the Land Cruiser 70 with serious retro charm.

While this rugged workhorse will still be made available with the firm's tried and trusted 151kW/430Nm 4.5l V8 turbodiesel mill, Toyota is offering the Land Cruiser 70 with its comparatively more modern 150kW/500Nm 2.8l four-cylinder turbodiesel engine utilised in the Prado, Fortuner and Hilux.

Meshed to a six-speed automatic transmission delivering torque to all four wheels, Toyota claims this reliable unit offers customers "tough off-road performance, low-noise and improved fuel economy".

Though the basic structure of the Land Cruiser 70's dashboard remains pretty much as it was before, you will spot notable upgrades such as a 6.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible), a new instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch TFT display and restyled centre console. USB-C ports are also fitted as is a smart leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel similar to the one found inside the Hilux. 

Toyota has also improved the safety technology in the new Land Cruiser 70 Series with the addition of lane departure alert, road sign assist (speed signs only) and automatic high beam as part of the Toyota Safety Sense suite of advanced driver assistance features.

In terms of local availability, Toyota confirmed that the updated Land Cruiser 70 range is on the cards for South Africa. At the time of writing, however, the carmaker was unable to confirm an official launch date. Watch this space for updates as and when they happen.