If there is one vehicle, above all others, that provides you ‘carte blanche’ to the world of 4×4 adventuring and cross-continental over-landing, it has to be the Toyota Land Cruiser. No matter how long the journey, across all manner of adventurous or workman-like terrain, the Toyota Land Cruiser is capable of an automotive pragmatism aligned with a will that is as free-spirited as the African continent itself.
For as long as Toyota has been a household name in South Africa, the indomitable Land Cruiser 70 Series has earned an enviable reputation for versatility, ruggedness and dependability. In this latest iteration, Toyota’s hard-working vehicle has received a 2013 model-year update, which sees the addition of a new Double Cab version, the adaptation of ABS brakes on all models and a raft of other improvements across the range.
The new Land Cruiser 70 Double Cab combines the carrying capacity of a pick-up with the flexibility of a double cab bakkie. The Double Cab will carry five adults in comfort without sacrificing the 920 kg payload for the diesel and 1 005 kg payload for the petrol model.
Making use of a 4.2-litre turbo-diesel engine across the Land Cruiser range, it is a workhorse that dishes up admirable performance in the form of 96 kW and 285 Nm of torque. If by some chance that is a bit agricultural for you there’s also the option of a normally aspirated 4.0-litre petrol engine on the Land Cruiser 79 Single Cab and Double Cab. Power for the petrol engine is rated at 170 kW and there is 360 Nm of torque available.
All Land Cruiser models come with a differential lock, a 5-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel drive and a low-range transfer box to give it great off-road ability. As before the brakes are ventilated discs at the front, but all 70-series models have the addition of rear disc brakes. Driver and front passenger airbags are standard across the range.
The Land Cruiser suspension setup is the same, unchanged combination of live axles front and rear with coil springs at the front and leaf springs at the back. A spring rate that favours ride quality over absolute load capacity is used on the Station Wagon and Double Cab, as opposed to the heavier duty spring rate of the Single Cab bakkie.
The 76 Station Wagon boasts a ground clearance of 230 mm, while the Land Cruiser 78 Wagon and 79 Pick-up variants are 235 mm above the ground, allowing the vehicle to tackle any off-road situation. New specification levels are also not purely utilitarian. All models get power steering, tilt and telescopic steering adjustment, air conditioning, electric windows, electrical adjustable mirrors, a 12-Volt accessory connector and now, for the first time, all models feature remote central locking.
The 76 Station Wagon is the most extravagantly equipped vehicle in the range, boasting interior extras like carpeted flooring, on-board Sat-Nav, a sound system with CD-player and auxiliary USB port. For the new generation 2013 model, a 130-litre fuel tank replaces the 90-litre unit and a spare wheel cover is added to the standard package.
The hardy three-door 78 Wagon is the never-say-die trooper of the range and is equipped with two 90-litre fuel tanks, for a total 180-litre capacity. Then come the 79s who, like their 78 siblings, boast a combined fuel capacity of 180 litres. The 79 Double Cab is cosmetically differentiated from the Single Cab stable mates by the addition of two rear doors, as well as the deletion of over fenders. Move indoors, however, and the 79 Double Cab does gain the aforementioned sound system and Sat-Nav.
| Pricing (Incl. VAT and CO2 Tax) | |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 76 Station Wagon (4.2 Diesel) | R506 700 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 78 Wagon (4.2 Diesel) | R484 000 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Single Cab (4.2 Diesel) | R444 800 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Double Cab (4.2 Diesel) | R487 000 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Single Cab (4.0 Petrol) | R417 900 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Double Cab (4.0 Petrol) | R463 900 |
All models feature a 3-year/100 000 km warranty.
