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NEWS
LandCruiser 70 Series Japanese revival
Return of the 70 Series LandCruiser to Japan could point to a possible replacement of the long-lived 4x4Could there be a connection between Toyota's recently-announced limited run of LandCruiser 70 Series models for the Japanese domestic market and the hints, late last year, that the company was undertaking preliminary work on the development of a replacement for the iconic workhorse 4WD?
The company's decision to bow to local demand in Japan and build a limited-run of home-market 70 Series models over a period of 12 months follows comments late last year from Toyota Australia's executive director of sales and marketing Tony Cramb that a new 70 Series was under "serious" consideration for the future.
While pointing out that nothing had been locked in – neither details of the form the new model might take, nor timing of a possible introduction – Cramb said Toyota was considering where a new 70 Series would fit into the model line-up.
"Smarter people than me are investigating whether it's worth the development of a new 70 Series. With a more capable HiLux coming, what does it need to be and how many would we sell?" he said in November 2013.
In Japan, the 70 Series has been off the market since 2004. Australia and the Middle East remain its chief markets but it has been under the shadow of tightening safety requirements and upcoming Euro 5 emissions changes in 2016 that appeared to sound its death knell.
For its Japanese reintroduction, the 70 Series gets the twin airbags and anti-lock braking system already fitted to the (three-star ANCAP) vehicles sold here, but essentially remains the simple, basic workhorse 4WD that has become a familiar sight on worksites around the country.
Consideration of a reintroduction of the primitive 4WD in Japan began three years ago following "many" requests from customers. The company hopes to attract younger buyers who may have grown up with a 70 Series in the family.
Certainly the fact that the Series 70 LandCruiser has enjoyed such a long life in Australia is a positive indicator towards the viability of a new model. But, so far, nothing more has been added to fuel the chances of anything happening soon.
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Written byCarsales Staff
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