Volkswagen sold the original Beetle for 65 years (1938-2003), and while the Land Cruiser 70 isn’t that old, it’s only getting older. Introduced in 1984, this go-anywhere SUV is about to celebrate its 40th birthdayth next year’s birthday and will still be on sale in the future. The disclosure was made by the company’s VP of Sales and Marketing in Australia. said Sean Hanley Car sell “no departure from our product plans on the 70 Series.”
There’s even talk of giving venerable off-roaders a hybrid powertrain, which is practically unheard of in the auto industry — to electrify a 40-year-old vehicle. While the current Land Cruiser 70 uses a 4.5-liter V8 turbodiesel engine, there have been rumors of a four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain. Hanley hasn’t ruled out a streamlined powertrain, saying customers will accept it, as they did for the Land Cruiser 300 and its lack of a V8 engine.
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He went on to suggest that the distinct possibility of going hybrid, especially as the company tries to be more environmentally friendly: “In any one car generation we change engines, that could happen. Key to anything Toyota does and is first and foremost in Thought we are fit for purpose in the markets you operate in while still achieving a carbon neutral position because that is now high on the agenda.”
Meanwhile, Hanley points out that Toyota is busy clearing the backlog of orders it currently has for the vintage SUV. The automaker has temporarily stopped taking new orders in Australia due to strong demand, even though the 2023 model year arrives with a $1,600 price increase.
A look at Toyota Australia’s website shows the LC70 available in both pickup and SUV body styles, complete with an A-pillar mounted snorkel. The engine we mentioned is good for 202 horsepower (151 kilowatts) and 317 pound-feet (430 Newton-meters) which sent to the road via a five-speed manual transmission. This workhorse has been modified over the years and is equipped with a 6.1-inch touchscreen, dual airbags, air conditioning and stability and traction controls.
