The V8 and V6-powered Land Cruiser 70 series, which has been well-regarded for years, might be approaching its end. Here is all we know on the rumour of a four-cylinder version of the illustrious bakkie.
Reports claim that the next iteration of the Land Cruiser 70 series will potentially be equipped with the same four-cylinder engine found in Toyota’s Prado. These bold claims stem from information gathered by Best Car Web, a Japanese automotive news outlet that reported on the possibility of the engine swap earlier this year. It is also rumoured that the Land Cruiser 70 series loses the V8 configuration in favour of the Prado’s power plant, it could inherit the Prado’s six-speed automatic transmission too.
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The Land Cruiser has gained popularity in markets like Tanzania, and especially in Australia. CarExpert reached out to Toyota Australia to inquire about the possibility of a four-cylinder powered Land Cruiser and received the following response from a Toyota Australia spokesperson: “While we cannot comment on our model plans, we can confirm that we will continue to offer a V8 engine with the 70 Series in the coming years.”
Toyota South Africa has yet to confirm or deny the possibility of downsizing the Land Cruiser’s power plant. Riaan Esterhuysen, TSAM Public Relations Manager, stated, “The engine change mentioned is still being studied for suitability and applicability to our local market, and we are unable to confirm the product direction at this time.”
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If the Prado’s four-cylinder engine is adopted, it would slightly surpass the performance figures of the current V8-powered model. The Prado’s 2,8-litre diesel four-cylinder, internally known as the 1GD, produces 150 kW, just one kilowatt less than the V8’s 151 kW. However, the main advantage of switching to the 1GD would be the significant increase in torque. The Land Cruiser’s torque would rise from 430 N.m in the V8 configuration to 500 N.m in the hypothetical four-cylinder setup.
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We will continue to monitor this topic and provide updates as they become available.
