New Toyota Land Cruiser 70: a modern reinterpretation of the legendary Japanese off-roader

The arrival of the new generation of the Toyota Land Cruiser has undoubtedly been one of the most well-received events of recent months, featuring a thoroughly renewed design, advanced safety and connectivity features, and a new turbodiesel engine compatible with HVO biodiesel.

Alongside the Land Cruiser 300 and the Land Cruiser 250, Toyota has also presented its new Land Cruiser 70. A version that dates back to its first generation, introduced in 1984, to keep its DNA practically intact while incorporating all the technological advances we enjoy today, combining the best of the past and the present.

With a length of 4,890 millimetres, a width of 1,870 millimetres and a wheelbase of 2,730 mm, the new Land Cruiser 70 will also return to its home market, with the iconic boxy shapes of the original model, sturdy bumpers and wheel arches in exposed plastic, the spare wheel mounted on one side of the rear, and auxiliary mirrors on the front edge to help see where the wheels of the off-roader are going.

Just enough technology

Inside, the new Land Cruiser 70 adds some technology to its traditional interior, notably a small touchscreen for the infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, a multifunction steering wheel upholstered in leather with wood inserts on the better-equipped variants, and a dashboard and centre console with a design that takes us back to the off-roaders of over 20 years ago.

As for driver assistance systems, the new Land Cruiser 70 offers features such as lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition.

A mechanical range without modern touches

Under the bonnet, the new Land Cruiser 70 also follows the traditional off-roader formula, fitting a 4.5-litre V8 turbodiesel producing 202 CV and 430 Nm of torque in the versions sold in Australia, and a 2.8-litre turbodiesel producing 204 CV and 500 Nm paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox for the versions sold in Japan.

For the time being, Toyota has not provided any information on whether this variant will reach any European country, although given its concept, this does not appear very likely.