Major powertrain change coming as part of iconic Japanese workhorse’s biggest upgrade since 1985
Toyota says the push to reduce carbon dioxide emissions will trump the love of V8 engines for the iconic Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series, which looks likely to remain unavailable to order in Australia for the rest of this year due to a waiting list that extends well into 2024.
Recently upgraded for the 2023 model year with a higher gross vehicle mass (GVM) and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – plus higher prices across the range – the car that money currently can’t buy due to an unprecedented stop-sale since August 2022 could soon undergo its biggest transformation since it first hit the market in 1985.
“In the end logic’s not part of the discussion,” Toyota Australia vice-president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley told carsales asked about the future of the lauded turbo-diesel V8 that powers the 70 Series.
“Carbon neutrality is part of the discussion.”
His comments come as reports out of Japan suggest the LandCruiser 70 Series will soon adopt a new four-cylinder diesel-electric hybrid system that’s expected to debut in the all-new Toyota Prado, which is set to break cover this year.
Hanley’s comments suggest that while much of the core audience for the 70 Series loves the V8 engine, the push to reduce CO2 emissions and the environmental credentials of the utilitarian version of the LandCruiser may ultimately win out.
That makes sense given the strong demand the 70 Series has with mining fleets, all of which are trying to reduce their carbon emissions, as well as Toyota’s commitment to offer a hybrid version of every model it sells by the end of this decade.
“We’ve got to come up with a solution that delivers on carbon neutrality and still allows customers to do the things with those cars that they want to do,” says Hanley.
Of course, one of the assumptions was that the 70 Series would eventually adopt a lower-output version of the 3.3-litre twin-turbo diesel V6 in the LandCruiser 300 Series.
However, as Hanley points out, “it’s not about logic, it’s about carbon neutral”.
And a 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel assisted by electric motors would clearly use less fuel and therefore emit less CO2.
Not that fuel use is the end game for many buyers of the long-running LC70 – anything but. For private buyers, the legendary off-roader is all about off-road capability, ruggedness and grunt.
But it wouldn’t be difficult to improve on the 151kW/430Nm outputs of the Euro 5 emissions-compliant 4.5-litre single-turbo diesel V8 that’s been standard in the 70 Series since 2016. Even without electric assistance, the 2.8-litre diesel in the HiLux and Fortuner makes 150kW/500Nm.
That’s not the only apparent powertrain change that’s about to engulf the 70 Series, however.
The LC70’s imminent shift to hybrid propulsion looks set to see the end of the five-speed manual that has long been the only transmission of choice; instead it’s likely to adopt an auto shifter.
Meantime, recent comments from the senior Toyota executive could shed light on the “order pause” that Australia’s top auto brand placed on the 70 Series six months ago.
The company said at the time “strong demand and industry-wide supply challenges globally mean we simply cannot fulfil orders more quickly”.
However, one consideration may also have been whether Toyota would be able to supply the vehicles that people order today by the time a production slot becomes available.
After all, some buyers wanting – and expecting – a V8 may not be as enamoured with the prospect of a four-cylinder hybrid auto powerplant under the bonnet of their 70 Series.
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Keyword: Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series may ditch V8 for hybrid power