What is it: 

This is the oldest new car on sale in Australia today. The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series dates back to 1984 and has had numerous updates over the past 40 years.

The biggest change arrived late last year with a bold new nose (and bi-LED headlights) and the option of four-cylinder turbo diesel power and automatic transmission for the first time.

Orders for V8 versions of the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series are on an indefinite pause while the factory catches up with backorders that stretch up to two years. 

Although the facelift has brought better headlights and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, some things haven’t changed. 

This is the last new car on sale in Australia today with manual window winders, manual adjustment for the side mirrors (you need to physically push the mirrors into position), and quarter windows in the front doors. 

Price:

There are three model grades in the single-cab ute variant (Workmate, GX and GXL) whereas the double-cab, wagon and troop carrier are only available in Workmate and GXL trim).

We tested the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series Workmate single-cab 2.8-litre four-cylinder with six-speed automatic transmission. (The V8s are exclusively five-speed manual and the 2.8s are exclusively six-speed auto).

The RRP for the vehicle tested is $72,500 before on-road costs. Toyota’s website listed it at $81,600 drive-away in NSW. Registration and stamp duty varies from state to state so be sure to check the price in your jurisdiction.

Engine:

The 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel (150kW/500Nm) is the same unit fitted to the Toyota HiLux SR and SR5.

LandCruiser 70 Series enthusiasts were aghast at the thought of a four-cylinder option, but the numbers make for uncomfortable reading for V8 fans.

The 4.5-litre V8 turbo diesel (151kW/430Nm) has 1 extra kilowatt of power but 70Nm less torque than its four-cylinder sibling.

Transmission:

Six-speed automatic is standard which, as we discovered, also contributes to the four-cylinder’s brisker performance compared to the V8 (which not only has less grunt, but has to pause for each gear change).

0 to 100km/h (as tested):

V8 fans, look away now. The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series Workmate single-cab 2.8-litre four-cylinder automatic did 0 to 100km/h in 10.7 seconds on our VBox precision timing equipment.

That’s roughly the same acceleration as the Toyota HiLux and almost four seconds faster than the V8 LandCruiser 70 Series.

When we last tested a V8 single-cab 70 Series it stopped the clocks in 14.5 seconds which is as slow as a Suzuki Jimny. Sorry boys, but the numbers don’t lie.

Emergency braking from 100km/h (as tested): 

Disappointing, though to be expected with these skinny all-terrain tyres (225/95/16 versus 265/70/16 on GX and GXL).

The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series Workmate single-cab 2.8-litre four-cylinder automatic pulled up in 47.84 metres in an emergency stop from 100km/h using our precision VBox measuring equipment.

Most diesel double-cab utes pull up in 42 to 44 metres (though the Ford Ranger Raptor on BF Goodrich tyres is also in the below-average 47-metre bracket).

The skinny tyres on the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series Workmate single-cab 2.8-litre four-cylinder automatic are called Dunlop Road Grippers. Grip is not the word I would use to describe these.

Good points:

Brisk performance for a big ute like this, epic off-road ability and impressive load-carrying capacity.

The bi-LED headlights are a welcome improvement on dark country roads.

Thanks to the efficiency of the four-cylinder (versus the V8) you can now comfortably cover more than 1000km on a single tank (130-litre fuel capacity) after we averaged 11.4L/100km unladen in a mix of urban and open road driving. 

The four-cylinder’s suspension tune has a better overall balance than the V8 (less weight over the nose) though it’s still a heavy-duty workhorse, so it still jiggles around a bit. 

Mod cons such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a digital speedometer, and extra cup holders in the centre console are also welcome updates.

Bad points:

The sun visors are useless at blocking side glare even when swung all the way around, and don’t extend at all. 

The raised section at the rear of the bonnet reflects sun directly into the driver’s eyes at certain angles (that’s why you see so many 70 Series with what looks like a bar mat across the lower section of the windshield).

It’s a tight squeeze, the cabin is very narrow (cars have gotten bigger over the past 40 years but the 70 Series has not) and it’s also hard to climb in and out.

Apple CarPlay (which plugs directly into the infotainment screen) worked intermittently. We tried two phones and a genuine Apple cord and an off-brand cord. They worked more often with the genuine cable but still had glitches when using the genuine cable.

When the phone did connect, people at the other end of the line always complained the background noise in the 70 Series was excessive, so I switched to in-ear headphones and the background noise was not quite as bad.

The infotainment screen goes dark if you drive with your headlights on during the day. We couldn’t configure it to go into a day setting when the headlights were on.

A lot of companies (and some road safety authorities) recommend driving with headlights on during the day – especially in remote areas – so other vehicles can spot you more easily.

There’s still not enough storage space in the cabin.

No three-flash indicators, no radar cruise control.

What the haters say:

This thing is ancient.

What the haters don’t understand:

This thing is indestructible. The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series is the Toyota Corolla of Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. They’re everywhere up there.

Miners and farmers swear by them because they can handle any conditions.

When you’re in a remote area, you want to be able to get there and back. And that’s why so many reach for the keys to a Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series.

Should you buy one?

At $80,000 drive-away I would buy a much more comfortable (and similarly capable) Toyota HiLux instead – and go on a $15,000 holiday with the change.

However, if you need genuinely gnarly off-road ability, long driving range, don’t mind rubbing shoulders with your mates in the cosy cabin – and you’re happy to live without some of life’s luxuries – this is a great rig.

Also consider:

Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max.