Toyota just released the 70th Anniversary Special Edition of the legendary Land Cruiser 70 Series for the Australian market. Now, the Japanese carmaker is introducing a truck with a comparable specification to South Africa.
The top model level has a new grille with Toyota insignia, a snorkel, an off-road bumper with integrated bull-bar, a hood scoop, a metal rear bumper, and a modified bed cover, in addition to the 70th-anniversary emblems.
Under the hood, a turbocharged 4.5-liter V8 diesel engine develops 202 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, with power sent to all four wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. Low-range gearing and front/rear differential locking are also included as standard features.
Although Toyota hasn't provided a 0-100 acceleration time for its typical body-on-frame off-roader, the highest speed is 160 km/h.
Regardless of bodystyle, the truck boasts a good 235 mm ground clearance, a 33° approach angle, and a 27° departure angle for off-roading. The overall length of 5,245 mm and the 3,180 mm wheelbase are equal in both variations, other from the inclusion of rear doors and the second row of seats. The towing capacity is 3,500 kg braked, and the payload capacity in the back bed is 1,005 kg.
The 70 Series Land Cruiser has undergone multiple updates, the most recent of which included a more contemporary dashboard.
The exterior color options are Ivory White or Sand Beige, with standard 16-inch alloy wheels and 265/70R16 tires.
The anniversary model in South Africa lacks the fancy steering wheel, wood trim, and leather upholstery included in the Australian version, but it does have a 6.1-inch infotainment display with Navigation and Apple CarPlay / Android Auto connection.
Manual air conditioning, bottle storage, motorized windows, a lockable glove box, and an anti-theft system are among the additional features.
Unlike Australia, which received 600 70th Anniversary Special Edition pickups divided into 320 double cabs, 200 single cabs, and 80 wagons, South Africa will only get an unspecified number of single-cab and double-cab pickups dubbed Land Cruiser 79.
In South Africa, the Land Cruiser 70th Anniversary Edition is already available for $54,869 for the single cab and $58,162 for the double cab. The far more current Land Cruiser Prado, on the other hand, starts at $61,548, while the lowest form of the brand-new Land Cruiser Series 300 costs $79,177.