1984 boxy styling with (some) modern goodies. What's not to love?
It was only yesterday when we talked about the “new” short-wheelbase Land Cruiser 70 available in the UAE and now Toyota has also brought back the venerable off-roader in Japan. Originally launched in 1984, the J70 was discontinued in the Land of the Rising Sun in 2004 but returned a decade later for just one year. It then went away again, and now it’s back for 2024. The JDM-spec model was unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show and it has now gone on sale.
It’s not the same barebones Toyota off-roader from 40 years ago since this latest iteration has modern systems like Hill Start Assist Control (HAC) and Downhill Assist Control (DAC). Toyota fits the JDM-spec Land Cruiser 70 with a six-speed automatic transmission as well as Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Active Traction Control (A-TRC). You still get the dependable ladder frame in conjunction with electronic differential locks.
2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series (JDM)
In Japan, the reborn 70 Series Land Cruiser is offered exclusively as a six-door SUV powered by a diesel engine. It’s a 2.8-liter turbo mill with 201 horsepower and 369 pound-feet (500 Newton meters) of torque. In Australia, the all-terrain vehicle can be had with a V8 diesel while the UAE gets the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V6 gasoline engine. Depending on the region, the go-anywhere model also comes as a pickup truck and that “shorty” three-door SUV we mentioned earlier.
It’s almost 2024 but you can still buy a brand-new vehicle with a fender-mounted mirror. Since Japan is a right-hand-drive market, that extra mirror is mounted on the left fender to serve as an old-school solution to blind spots. On the subject of quirks, the in-house tuner Modellista offers yellow LED fog lamps and a bunch of other goodies.
Available only in the AX trim and produced at the Yoshiwara Plant in Japan, the 70 Series Land Cruiser in JDM flavor weighs 5,070 pounds (2,300 kilograms). It’s 192.5 inches (4890 millimeters) long, 73.6 in (1870 mm) wide, and 75.5 in (1920 mm) tall, with a wheelbase measuring 107.4 in (2730 mm). That torquey diesel engine gets its juice from a large 34.3-gallon (130-liter) tank.
Toyota is charging 4,800,000 yen, so about $32,500 at current exchange rates. Alternatively, the resurrected Land Cruiser can also be ordered with a Kinto subscription service from as low as 45,760 yen ($310) per month. As good of a deal as this may seem, it comes with a seven-year plan, and you’ll end up paying 6,153,840 yen ($41,740) before having to return the vehicle.
Toyota estimates it will sell about 400 units each month in its domestic market.
Keyword: Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Relaunched In Japan, Fender Mirror And All