LandCruiser 76, 78 and 79 Series: What Is the Difference?
The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series is not a single vehicle. It is a family of body styles that all share the same ladder chassis, the same front end, and largely the same running gear, but carry different bodies for different jobs. The numbers 76, 78 and 79 are how Toyota tells those bodies apart. If you have been comparing listings and wondering why one 70 Series is a five-door wagon and another is a bare-tray ute, this is the page that clears it up.
Below we break down each body style, what it is built for, and the small fitment differences that matter when you start adding head units, audio, lighting, and interior upgrades. Because the front half of every 70 Series is shared, the great majority of cabin and front-end upgrades fit across all three. We also cover the rarer short and medium wheelbase variants, the 71, 73 and 74 Series, that most Australians will never see in the metal.
The Short Answer
All three are 70 Series LandCruisers. The difference is the body:
- 76 Series is the five-door wagon, with seating for the family and a rear cargo area.
- 78 Series is the Troop Carrier, a long-wheelbase van-style body that seats a crew or carries gear, popular with tourers, mine sites, and remote operators.
- 79 Series is the cab-chassis ute, sold as a single cab with a long tray or a dual cab with a second row and a shorter tray.
"70 Series" is the umbrella name for the whole family, and in Australia the 76, 78 and 79 are the bodies sold under it. There are also rarer short and medium wheelbase variants, the 71, 73 and 74 Series, built for export markets rather than Australia. We cover those further down.
Each Body Style in Detail
| Series | Body | Built for |
|---|---|---|
| 76 Series | Five-door wagon | Families and touring with enclosed, lockable rear cargo and rear seating. |
| 78 Series | Troop Carrier (TroopCarrier) | Long-body crew and gear hauling. The base for many tourer fit-outs, ambulances, and remote-area vehicles. |
| 79 Series | Cab-chassis ute | Work and tray-back builds. Single cab for maximum tray length, dual cab for a second row of seats. |
The 79 Series ute is the one most people picture when they think of a modern work LandCruiser, and it is the body most often built up with trays, canopies, and touring gear. The 78 Series Troop Carrier is the long-distance tourer and fleet favourite. The 76 Series wagon is the closest thing in the family to a conventional four-wheel-drive wagon.
What Is Shared Across All Three
This is the part that matters for upgrades. From the windscreen forward, and inside the cabin, the 76, 78 and 79 Series are almost identical. They share:
- The same dashboard and head unit aperture, so a vehicle-specific head unit fits all three.
- The same front doors, so front speaker door pods are common across the family.
- The same steering wheel and column, so steering wheel upgrade kits and control integration are shared.
- The same front-end lighting, so headlight and indicator upgrades carry across.
The differences show up at the rear, where the wagon, the Troop Carrier, and the ute tray diverge. Rear seating, rear doors, and cargo area change what is worth fitting back there, but the front of the vehicle is common ground.
Which 70 Series Body Style Suits You
Pick the body around how you actually use the vehicle, not the badge:
- Choose the 79 Series single cab if you want the longest tray for a tradie or touring build and do not need rear seats.
- Choose the 79 Series dual cab if you need to seat a second row and still want a tray.
- Choose the 78 Series Troop Carrier if you want an enclosed long body to fit out for remote touring or crew transport.
- Choose the 76 Series wagon if you want a more conventional enclosed wagon for family and touring duties.
Whichever body you land on, the cabin and front-end upgrade path is the same. Browse fitment-matched parts in the 70 Series single cab, dual cab, wagon and Troop Carrier range.
The Rarer 71, 73 and 74 Series
The 76, 78 and 79 are the bodies Australians know, but the 70 Series family is wider than that. The numbers 70 through 74 have always referred to the short and medium wheelbase two-door variants, the compact end of the range. They are genuinely rare here, and most owners will never see one outside of an importer's yard.
| Series | Body | Where it is sold |
|---|---|---|
| 71 Series | Short wheelbase three-door hardtop | The current short-wheelbase 70 Series. Sold new in export markets such as the Middle East, parts of Africa, and parts of Asia and South America. Not sold new in Australia. |
| 73 Series | Medium wheelbase two-door | An older medium-wheelbase variant from the wider 70 Series history. Rare, export and older-market focused, never part of the Australian new-vehicle range. |
| 74 Series | Medium wheelbase two-door | Another short and medium wheelbase designation from the broader range. Very rare, not sold new in Australia. |
For most buyers here the practical takeaway is simple: if you are shopping locally you are choosing between the 76, 78 and 79. If you have come across a 71, 73 or 74, it is an import, it is rare, and parts and accessories sized for those shorter bodies can be harder to source than the common Australian bodies.
Common questions
What is the difference between the LandCruiser 76, 78 and 79 Series?
They are the same 70 Series LandCruiser with different bodies. The 76 Series is the five-door wagon, the 78 Series is the Troop Carrier, and the 79 Series is the cab-chassis ute. They share the same chassis, front end, and cabin, so most front-end and interior upgrades fit all three.
Is the 79 Series a single cab or a dual cab?
Both. The 79 Series is sold as a single cab with a long tray and a short cabin, and as a dual cab with a second row of seats and a shorter tray. The front cabin, dash, and front doors are the same on both, so head units, front audio, steering controls, and lighting fit either one.
What is the 78 Series Troop Carrier?
The 78 Series, often called the Troop Carrier or TroopCarrier, is the long-wheelbase van-style body in the 70 Series family. It has an enclosed rear area used to seat a crew or carry gear, which makes it the popular base for remote-area touring fit-outs, fleet vehicles, and conversions.
Which 70 Series body style should I buy?
Match the body to the job. The 79 Series single cab gives the longest tray, the 79 Series dual cab adds rear seats, the 78 Series Troop Carrier suits enclosed touring fit-outs, and the 76 Series wagon is the conventional family wagon. The cabin upgrade path is the same across all of them.
What are the 71, 73 and 74 Series LandCruisers?
They are the rarer short and medium wheelbase variants of the 70 Series. The 71 Series is the current short-wheelbase three-door hardtop, sold new in export markets such as the Middle East, parts of Africa, and parts of Asia and South America. The 73 and 74 are older, very rare medium-wheelbase designations. None of them are sold new in Australia, so any you see here are private imports.
Can you buy a 71 Series LandCruiser in Australia?
Not new. Toyota Australia sells the 76 wagon, 78 Troop Carrier, and 79 ute, but not the short-wheelbase 71 Series. The 71 is built for export markets like the Middle East and Africa, so the only ones in Australia are private imports, which are rare and can be harder to find parts for.
Upgrade your 70 Series, whatever the body
Because the cabin and front end are shared across the 76, 78 and 79 Series, the same upgrades fit your vehicle. Start with the most popular first steps:
- 70 Series head units with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- 70 Series steering wheel upgrade kits
- 70 Series speaker door pods and audio