15 things the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series lacks

The facelifted 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series is one of the most significant updates since the boxy Japanese off-road workhorse first hit Aussie roads in 1985.

Almost 40 years on, it finally gets the option of an automatic transmission and a four-cylinder turbo-diesel, but they can only be had together, they don’t come cheap and the 2.8-litre auto powertrain could one day replace the manual-only diesel V8.

And for now, the 70 Series V8 variants remain unavailable to order due to overwhelming demand and Toyota Australia has ruled out a local release for the new short-wheelbase 71 Series two-door just released overseas.

The 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series range does get some extra equipment, but one thing has been deleted: a CD player. Toyota has finally added Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity to the 70 Series, but in the process it got rid of the CD player that was previously standard.

There’s an even longer list of changes and gear the upgraded LandCruiser 70 Series doesn’t get, which is something made obvious when compared with other off-roaders – including those within the Toyota family.

Some of them will likely come in future model updates, but others are likely to be left to the aftermarket to sort out – as has been the case throughout the life of the 70 Series.

And there’s a whole bunch of features that won’t be missed by the owners who buy them. So here are some of the things that some buyers may have hoped to see in the updated LC70.

The LandCruiser 70 Series was the first Toyota model to get the Japanese car-maker’s 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 way back in 2007. A few months later the then-new LandCruiser 200 Series followed suit, but whereas the LC70 got a single-turbo version the 200 Series added another turbo and a whole lot more grunt.

That single-turbo engine in the 70 Series made a modest 151kW/430Nm – and it makes exactly the same outputs today. Many people in the aftermarket tune them to make a whole lot more power and torque, but Toyota hasn’t bothered with that.

While the twin-turbo engine was considered for this update, it seems the beancounters won out.

While we’re at it, what about an auto for the V8? It’s all very doable, given the development works was done for the 200 Series, but it means engineering and manufacturing investment.

When you’ve got people queuing to own the manual and you can’t make enough of them, why would you bother spending more money? So yes, it could happen one day, but we wouldn’t expect anything in the next few years – possibly longer.

The 79 Series single-cab chassis is the only LC70 variant that gets more than two airbags. As well as a driver’s knee airbag, it also picks up side airbags.

But all other variants go without those potentially life-saving additional airbags. That’s because Toyota decided to only invest money in the volume-selling two-seat utes to ensure the mining companies got the all-important five-star ANCAP rating they demanded.

These days the LC70 is classified as a light truck so it doesn’t have to worry about tougher government safety regulations. And, to be fair, most owners – especially farmers in remote areas – aren’t too fussed.

Rear-facing radar in a LandCruiser 70 Series?!? Wash your mouth out… The LandCruiser is all about simplicity and not having features that could cause problems in the bush. So things such as blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert are left on the sidelines.

Sure, it’d be handy around town, but the places the LC70 has really been designed for don’t have big issues with traffic.

The introduction of the 70 Series V8 in 2007 prompted Toyota to widen the distance between the front wheels (the track), but controversially it didn’t touch the rear track, which therefore remains narrower. While many owners turn to the aftermarket to even things up, Toyota officially suggests you don’t touch a thing.

And even with the introduction of the four-cylinder the rear wheels are still 95mm closer together than those up front. It means drivers trudging through sand or mud effectively have to create four wheel tracks instead of two.

We know why Toyota didn’t widen the rear track with the arrival of the V8: cost.

As for why it didn’t take the opportunity to reintroduce the narrower front track on four-cylinder models so that front and rear could again line up – it’s apparently down to production complexity and keeping things simple on the parts supply front. Keep everything the same and it fattens profits.

The LandCruiser 70 Series gets a standard snorkel, but it’s not the most stylish unit, with a bulbous top that looks functional but not as stylish as some LandCruiser fashionista would like. No surprises that many owners swap them out for something better, such as the popular Safari snorkel.

Upgrading to an aftermarket snorkel also makes it better in deep water. The standard factory unit has a join in its plastic construction that means it’s not sealed, so it’s officially classified as a raised air intake to limit how much dust gets in, rather than something that properly seals out water.

The LandCruiser 70 Series finally gets a camera… sort of. For the first time there is a factory-fitted camera, but it only comes with the five-door wagon known as the 76 Series. For all other body styles you need to turn to the aftermarket for an option, something many do given the size and average visibility of the LC70.

Granted, it’s tricky to fit a camera to the 79 Series ute models, but other manufacturers manage; Ford at least supplies it for cab-chassis versions of the Ranger so that owners can fit it with whatever tray they decide to install at the rear.

Four-cylinder versions of the LandCruiser 70 Series get an electronic downhill assist system to account for the lesser auto braking of the auto/four-cylinder combo (the V8 does a terrific job of holding a steady speed down a hill, but the four-cylinder is much less convincing). But the LC70 DAC system is fixed at about 4-5km/h.

Anyone who is seriously challenging a 70 Series will know that’s often too fast. Toyota looked at having an adjustable speed system – as is available on many other models, including the LandCruiser 300 Series – but it was shelved due to cost. There’s every chance it could appear at a later update.

Many off-roaders tweak the throttle response for different off-road programs or when the car is in low range. It helps better modulate throttle applications in challenging terrain. But the 70 Series has the same electronic throttle setting for all situations.

Maybe one day there will be some adjustability for the throttle that goes beyond your right leg, but then again owners do love the simplicity of the 70 Series.

Toyota has long allowed owners to tailor their off-roaders to different terrain, such as mud, snow and sand. But not with the 70 Series.

While its excellent electronic traction control system was tested and developed locally, there’s no chance of tweaking it for different situations. Again, it comes back to that simplicity and extreme off-road capability.

Toyota is known for its hybrid systems – but not in its off-roaders. The company has been glacial putting petrol-electric tech into cars that arguably need it more than most. While a proper hybrid system is still some way off, Toyota is about to introduce a 48V mild-hybrid assistance system that can incrementally reduce fuel use; it’s due soon in the upcoming Prado 250 Series and some versions of the 2024 HiLux.

As for the LandCruiser 70 Series, Toyota says the focus was on durability and the extreme harsh conditions its toughest, most iconic off-roader could be used in. While such systems have been engineered for other models, it says the emphasis for the LC70 was getting the regular four-cylinder working in the toughest conditions to customer expectations.

Many new cars these days do without an old-school handbrake lever, instead simplifying things with a button (which also takes up a lot less space). But Toyota has kept the old mechanical lever.

Again, it’s all about simplicity and one less electric gizmo to go wrong. And if something does go wrong with a lever handbrake then anyone mechanically minded – or a station owner in the outback – can at least have a crack at fixing it.

Proximity keys that allow owners to keep their keys in their pocket can be a win around town, especially when hands are full. But in the bush that’s another thing to potentially go wrong – and another (tiny) battery to keep charged.

So Toyota has stuck with a good old key in the ignition. And there’s a good chance some of them will be slotted into that position and never removed.

The old-school second gear lever was once a feature of four-wheel drives. These days most have a button or switch to select between high and low range (4H and 4L).

But the LC70 sticks with the stubby gear lever, which occasionally needs some muscle to convince it to slot into low range. Toyota says there was clear customer feedback to keep the manual selector.

The LandCruiser 70 Series gets side steps to make it easier to enter the cabin. They’re made of steel in the single-cab 79 Series WorkMate and GX variants, as well as the 78 Series Troop Carrier WorkMate; all other models get lighter (but not as rugged) aluminium steps.

In either guise they’re basic units that many owners will end up replacing with more serious rock rails that can cop a decent scrape or hit. Given owners love personalising their 70 Series, Toyota didn’t bother developing its own.

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