Toyota’s venerable 70 Series Land Cruiser can trace its history back 60 years, and has just received its most significant update in recent years. Apart from a slight revision to the exterior styling, and one or two tech items in the cabin, Toyota’s finally dropped in the 2.8 GD-6 four-cylinder turbodiesel and six-speed automatic transmission from the Hilux/Fortuner. Kyle Kock put it through its paces on and off-road.
Motoring doyens will recall how Land Cruisers have been available over the years with many forms of six-cylinder normally aspirated and turbodiesel engines. The luxurious Land Cruiser 200’s 4.5 turbodiesel V8 also found its way into the utilitarian 76 and 79 Land Cruiser a decade ago but all variations made use of a manual gearbox.
For 2024, Toyota’s brought back the retro look of the older Land Cruiser in the same vein as the now-discontinued FJ Cruiser. The black grille and headlamps in particular are reminiscent of the little FJ40. Raised bonnet and front fenders create a power bulge that’s purely cosmetic. The front step bumper can support a weight of 120 kg, and has a chrome face.
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The rest of the vehicle is virtually the same as before. The same Land Cruiser badging has been moved from the front doors to the fenders and instead of silver, the five-spoke alloys have been finished in a dark grey hue.
While the 4.2 diesel inline-six, 4.0 petrol V6, and 4.5 turbodiesel V8 remain in the 70 Series range overall, these are where the additions of the 2.8 GD-6 models slot in. All come with a six-speed automatic transmission and manual transfer case.
PRICING
Land Cruiser 79 2.8 GD-6 Single Cab R917 100
Land Cruiser 79 2.8 GD-6 Double Cab R920 800
Land Cruiser 76 2.8 GD-6 Station Wagon LX R999 900
Land Cruiser 76 2.8 GD-6 Station Wagon VX R1 091 400
Anyone who knows the history of the vehicle knows that it carries the moniker “master of Africa.” There’s a wide number of 60 Series and 80 Series Land Cruisers that are still going on major off-road expeditions and they still have a cult following in overlanding circles.
The 70 Series caters to these adventurers with a new powertrain, but still manages to deliver the old-school bulletproof feel. Like it utilitarian forefathers, this latest version is sparce of modern niceties, with the only exceptions being that it now has a the Hilux/Fortuner steering wheel, there’s a slight variation in the storage compartment layout around the gear lever, and dual USB-C charging ports in the facia.
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The seats are manually adjustable, with no height adjustment. With no electronics close to the floor (there are no speakers in the front or rear doors), I’m also more inclined to trust in the wading depth capabilities. The air-con requires a turn of the ventilation dial, and there are no seatbelt warning noises or lights. Even the analogue instrument panels is fairly basic, and I had to calculate the Land Cruiser’s fuel consumption from tank to tank.
After a couple of hundred kilometers worth of testing and off-road driving, I’m happy to report that most South Africans would easily be able to achieve 1 000 km from the 76’s 130-litre fuel tank in regular day-to-day driving. It averaged around 12.83 L/100 km during my off-road adventures and testing it performance on-road with hard driving, but my daily commute and more sedate driving on the weekend resulted in a 9.67 L/100 km average.
Sure, the Cruiser isn’t the most comfortable on the road, but it’s far from harsh. On most surfaces, I found the ride delivered by the solid front and rear axles (coil springs in front and leaf springs at the rear) to be pliant. Some will bemoan the ancient turning circle, which will require three-point turns almost everywhere and the hydraulically assisted steering requires 4 turns from lock to lock.
But off the beaten track is where the 70 Series Cruise shines. Even in this base form, the ground clearance, approach and departure angles, and front and rear locking differentials on this LX Grade model will see off many pretenders when the going gets really tough.
SUMMARY
Sure, there are many other vehicles you could consider at this price point. It’s R100 short of a R1 million, and you don’t get any mod-cons. BUT, to base a review of a vehicle designed to conquer the wide outdoors with little to no fuss on the conditions that most people place on vehicles that will never even mount the pavement is unfair.
I’m a huge fan of this 2.8 transplant in the 70 Series and I think there’s no reason to doubt that like the legions of Land Cruisers still on our roads, this one will still be driving and surviving the tough conditions of Africa.
AT A GLANCE
Model: Toyota Land Cruiser 76 2.8 GD-6 Station Wagon LX
Engine: 2.8-litre, four-cylinder, turbodiesel
Power: 150 kW @ 3 000 r/min
Torque: 500 N.m @ 1 600 r/min
Driven wheels: rear-wheel wheel drive with selectable four-wheel drive
Fuel consumption: 9.6 L/100 km