Whenever you hear of the 'Land Cruiser' nameplate, it makes you think of unrivalled and pioneering offroad capability with reliability that amazes. My colleague Chad Lückhoff attended the launch of the latest 70 Series Land Cruiser, and you can check out his thoughts here.
Related: Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series (2024) Colour and Price Guide
The latest 70 Series sports a list of improvements while keeping the traditional Land Cruiser recipe. You'll see improvements in comfort, convenience, styling and even a new engine to add to the line up. The latest 70 Series appeals to a broader audience but can still keep Land Cruiser aficionados happy. With the new improvements in mind, which is the best variant?
What variants are there?
You can have your 70 Series Land Cruiser with different form factors and engines, too. From Single Cab to Double Cab to Station Wagon, the 70 Series is available in various capacities, whatever your needs.
| Model | Pricing |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 79 4.0 V6 Single Cab | from R765 500 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 79 4.2D Single Cab | from R829 000 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 79 4.0 V6 Double Cab | from R864 600 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 79 2.8GD-6 Single Cab | from R917 100 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 79 4.2D Double Cab | from R920 800 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 79 4.5D-4D LX V8 Single Cab | from R956 200 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 76 2.8GD-6 Station Wagon Auto | from R999 900 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 79 2.8GD-6 Double Cab | from R1 009 000 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 79 4.5D-4D LX V8 Double Cab | from R1 039 200 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 76 4.5D-4D Station Wagon | from R1 076 800 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 78 4.2D Station Wagon | from R900 100 |
The Land Cruiser 70 Series Models comes optionally with a 100 000km service plan but comes standard with a 3-year /100 000km warranty.
*Pricing stated here was correct at the time of publishing and subject to change without prior notice.
Engines and Features
Much of the Land Cruiser variants are the same in terms of standard equipment, with key differences in the engine selection and Driver Support Systems. Some features, like the snorkel, for example, only appear on the 4.5 V8. You can have your Land Cruiser with the following engines:
| Engine | 4.0 V6 | 4.2 Inline 6 | 4.5 V8 | 2.8GD-6 |
| Fuel | Petrol | Diesel | Diesel | Diesel |
| Power | 170 kW | 96 kW | 151 kW | 150 kW |
| Torque | 360 Nm | 285 Nm | 430 Nm | 500 Nm |
| Transmission | Manual 5 Speed | Manual 5 Speed | Manual 5 Speed | Automatic 6 Speed |
| Claimed Fuel Consumption | 14.4l /100km | 12.2l /100km | 11.9l /100km | 9.7l /100km |
| Aspiration | Natural | Natural | Turbocharged | Turbocharged |
| Differential Lock | Front and rear | |||
| Suspension Front and Rear | Front -Rigid Axle (Coil) Rear- Rigid Axle (Leaf) | |||
| Wheels and tyre | Front- 265/70/R16 Alloy wheel Rear- 265/70/R16 Alloy wheel | |||
| Tow hook | 2 | |||
| Air Conditioning | Manual | |||
| Steering Wheel Column Adjustments | Manual, Tilt and Telescopic, Collapsible | |||
As far as Driver Support goes, you'll find the following:
| Model | 4.0 V6 | 4.2 Inline 6 | 4.5 V8 | 2.8GD-6 |
| ABS | x | x | x | x |
| Front airbags | x | x | x | x |
| Brake Assist | x | |||
| EBD | x | |||
| Hill Assist Control | x | |||
| Traction Control | x (Active Traction Control) | |||
| Vehicle Stability Control | x | |||
| Downhill Assist Control | x |
Verdict
Just from the information above, for all round value and lighter fuel consumption, any Land Cruiser variant with the 2.8GD-6 engine would be the best in our view. The 2.8GD-6 can rumble with the 4.5 V8 regarding power figures and consumes much less fuel. On top of that, the 2.8GD-6 comes with additional Driver Support Systems. If you're sold on a 70 Series Land Cruiser, you can search AutoTrader for the latest used and new offerings and sell your car, too.
