Toyota Australia has put the incoming LandCruiser 70 Series upgrade through more than 100,000 kilometres of local testing, covering corrugated dirt roads, rugged cattle stations and severe washouts before signing off on the changes ahead of a fourth-quarter 2016 launch.
The program, which concentrated on the best-selling single cab-chassis variant, found approximately 70 per cent of its kilometres in off-road conditions, giving Toyota's Australian engineers the data they needed to tune the package specifically for how and where the 70 Series is actually used in this country.
At a Glance
- Stiffer new frame with thicker side rails across all 70 Series variants, reducing vibration and improving handling and stability.
- All variants, including single and double cab-chassis, wagon and troop carrier, gain vehicle stability control, traction control, hill-start assist, brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution and cruise control.
- Single cab-chassis expected to achieve a five-star ANCAP safety rating, adding curtain-shield and driver's knee airbags to the existing driver and front-passenger units, for a total of five airbags.
- Existing 4.5-litre V8 turbo-diesel retained, upgraded to Euro 5 certification and fitted with piezo injectors for improved low-speed response.
- Manual-only transmission retained with revised gearing aimed at better fuel economy and reduced noise, vibration and harshness.
The headline mechanical change is the adoption of a stiffer ladder-frame chassis with thicker side rails. Toyota's local engineers subsequently retuned spring and damper rates to suit the revised structure, confirming the setup's suitability for Australian operating conditions before signing off on the calibration.
On the safety front, the update represents a substantial step for a nameplate that has historically prioritised capability over electronics. Vehicle stability control and traction control have been tuned by Australian engineers specifically for dirt roads, rural properties and country highways rather than sealed urban environments. Every body style in the 70 Series lineup receives the full suite of active safety features.
The powertrain story is one of refinement rather than replacement. The 4.5-litre V8 turbo-diesel with common-rail direct injection and an intercooler carries over, now certified to the Euro 5 emissions standard. The addition of piezo injectors is intended to sharpen throttle response at low engine speeds, an area relevant to low-range off-road work. Revised gearing in the manual transmission targets improved fuel economy and a quieter, smoother driving experience.
Toyota Australia's executive director sales and marketing, Tony Cramb, framed the investment as a necessary step to keep the model on Australian roads. "At the same time, it receives important safety and emissions updates that are required by many customers, as well as regulators, to enable Toyota to continue selling the 70 Series in the Australian market," Mr Cramb said.
Mr Cramb also highlighted the model's enduring character: "The upgraded 70 Series LandCruiser range builds on this iconic vehicle's fit-for-purpose appeal with improvements that reinforce its heavy-duty abilities, durability and unapologetically rugged character."
For existing and prospective 70 Series owners, the updates represent the most comprehensive revision to the platform in several years, with the stiffer chassis and revised suspension likely to have downstream effects on aftermarket setup requirements.
