Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series 2023 Review

How much does the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series cost?

It may be proven tech that’s been around for yonks, but the 2023 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series has thoroughly modern prices.

The LC70 is available in four body styles: single-cab ute, double-cab ute, five-door wagon and two-door Troop Carrier (more affectionately known as the Troopy). The utes are often referred to as the 79 Series, the wagon is the 76 Series and the Troop Carrier is the 78 Series.

It’s the 79 Series single-cab we’re testing here.

Pricing for the LandCruiser 70 Series Single Cab Chassis starts at $72,550 plus on-road costs for the Workmate, which is a basic bit of kit. A GX adds more gear for another couple of grand while the GXL on test is $76,650 plus ORCs.

The only visual change to the new model is the addition of larger side repeater indicator lenses, which were a requirement now that the car is classified as a light truck (we’ll get to that).

But don’t go thinking you can waltz into a Toyota dealership and slap down your hard-earned for a new LandCruiser 70 Series. Order books closed in 2022 due to unprecedented demand, however that doesn’t mean they’re not available.

Some dealers (including Toyota dealers) are offering basically new cars (less than 100km on the odo) for tens of thousands of dollars more than those recommended retail list prices. Welcome to the sometimes crazy world of supply and demand…

Servicing is required every six months or 10,000km and is covered by capped pricing of $425 for each of the first six services; beyond that servicing can get a lot more expensive.

The LandCruiser 70 Series is covered by Toyota’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. However, if you are using the vehicle for commercial purposes (which a lot of owners do) then the five-year warranty coverage tops out at 160,000km.

What equipment comes with the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series?

The basic 2023 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series Workmate gets 16-inch steel wheels, cruise control, vinyl seats and floors and a two-speaker sound system.

Like all 70 Series it gets a snorkel and a full-size spare wheel.

By the time you get to the GXL tested here, there are 16-inch alloys, cloth for the seats and carpet for the floor. It also picks up front and rear locking diffs.

You get the idea. It’s basic stuff and the emphasis is on the core, although satellite navigation is included on the 6.1-inch infotainment screen.

For the 70 Series it’s the gear that’s missing that is more obvious. There’s no reversing camera, for example, no automatic headlights, not even a trip computer.

About the only equipment advantage the 70 Series has over anything else at this price is the standard fitment of a CD player. Blame it on the age of the vehicle – or the demographic that may not have easy access to Spotify or Apple Music.

The big news with this update to the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series goes beyond any features or gizmos. It’s the raising of the payload, which has come about by an increase in the gross vehicle mass, or GVM.

All 70 Series models now have a GVM of 3510kg, which represents an increase of between 110kg (for the single-cab chassis) to 450kg (for the wagon).

That GVM update also increases the payload of between 90kg and 415kg, depending on the model. Here’s what the changes to the GVM do to the payload of the 70 Series:

So, what’s changed to enable this newfound load carrying capability? Absolutely nothing – except the brochure and specifications.

Yep, the LandCruiser 70 Series uses the same chassis, shock absorbers, springs and driveline components as before. It’s just that Toyota has now decided it can carry up to 415kg more.

We asked for an explanation on numerous occasions but have still not received a reply from Toyota.

While Toyota argues the changes were made due to customer demands to improve the carrying capacity of the 70 Series, there was a secondary – and much larger – benefit in how the vehicle was classified.

The 70 Series was previously classified as a light goods vehicle with an NA classification with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development (DOTARS).

By increasing the GVM above a 3500kg threshold, the utilitarian LandCruiser is now classified as a medium goods vehicle, or a light truck (with an NB classification).

Crucially, that means it no longer has to comply with the updated ADR 85/00 legislation regarding ‘Pole Side Impact Performance’, something the minister at the time said was to created to “reduce the risk of serious and fatal injury of vehicle occupants in side impact crashes by limiting the forces, accelerations and deflections measured by anthropomorphic test devices in pole side impact crash tests and by other means”.

The new test was made mandatory for all NA classified utes from November 1, 2022, and it would have required a significant update of the 70 Series.

Instead, now that it has been classified as an NB light truck it no longer needs to comply.

However, in the shift to a light truck classification it meant the 70 Series needed to meet some new regulations, one of which was the fitment of larger side indicator repeater lenses. That’s why they’re now bigger and repositioned.

How safe is the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series?

Toyota has mostly done the minimum to ensure the new 2023 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series meets safety expectations and/or regulations.

When mining companies called for five-star safety years ago, Toyota added side curtain airbags. It was done to help it achieve a five-star ANCAP rating – but only to the single-cab model the mining fleets purchased.

The biggest addition to this updated model is the fitment of autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which uses a camera at the top of the windscreen and a radar behind the Toyota badge to look out for obstacles and apply the brakes.

There’s also stability control, something that was previously required to meet the legislations but is no longer required given the 70 is now a light truck.

But that’s about where the safety story ends. There’s no blind spot warning, not even a reversing camera.

And the previous ANCAP rating no longer applies because Toyota has the 70 Series classified as a light truck, something that also means it no longer needs to meet tougher side impact safety regulations.

What technology does the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series feature?

This will be quick…

The 2023 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series is fitted with a CD player, AM/FM radio and a 6.1-inch touch-screen with satellite navigation that isn’t particularly easy to use.

There’s Bluetooth for wireless phone calls but no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity.

The infotainment unit incorporates a USB-A port and there are two more USBs near the cup holder.

What powers the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series?

It’s still old-school muscle beneath the bonnet of the 2023 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series.

The 4.5-litre V8 diesel is a single-turbo version of the twin-turbo engine that was used in the previous-generation Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series.

But while it may have the V8 tag, don’t expect typical V8 levels of performance.

The peak power is 151kW, just 1kW more than that produced by the four-cylinder diesel in the HiLux. The three-cylinder engine in the Toyota Yaris GR Sport makes 200kW.

The 70 Series makes up points in the torque department, with 430kW available from just 1200rpm.

But, again, most four-cylinder utes comfortably outdo the 70 Series.

So, what’s the appeal?

Like the rest of the car, think of the V8 as a blank canvas upon which many buyers build.

Upgraded exhaust systems are common, not only upping the power (and, in some instances making the cars illegal) while others muck around with the mapping of computer chips.

Short story is it’s relatively easy to eke more power from the V8.

How fuel efficient is the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series?

It’s a V8 LandCruiser, so fuel efficiency isn’t exactly a top priority, something probably not helped by its blocky shape that doesn’t look like it’s been anywhere near a wind tunnel.

The claimed consumption for the 2023 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series GXL Single Cab Chassis is 10.7L/100km, something that edges up to 12.9L/100km in the urban environment.

It’d be easy to use more, especially if you are off-road or heavily laden.

Thankfully there’s a sizeable 130-litre fuel tank (or 180L for the Troopy) that means long distances between refills.

What is the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series like to drive?

There’s a chasm between the on- and off-road performance of the 2023 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series.

On-road it’s slow to respond and uninspiring with vague steering that requires plenty of input.

The old-school cabin means 1980s levels of sound deadening, so at 100km/h you’ll hear the wind rushing past.

Plus, there’s a huge turning circle that makes city streets a chore (worse without a reversing camera). The chugging of the diesel engine is a constant, too, although it’s a fitting accompaniment.

The V8 has a useful dollop of torque in its very low-to-middle rev range and a muscularity that suggests it will cop many decades of punishment.

There’s more than enough grunt to make taking off in second gear viable for all but steep hill starts. That also means dodging the very short first gear that is designed more for towing, off-road and dragging a few tonnes of trailer up a boat ramp.

Speaking of towing, the LandCruiser can lug up to 3500kg. And if you are towing that full 3.5 tonnes with 350kg pushing down on the tow ball, you still have a payload of 1205kg.

How good is the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series off-road?

It’s rocks, sand, mud and gravel tracks where the 2023 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series does its best work. Given the hardware underneath it’d be a crime not to take it off-road.

It starts with excellent clearance and simple mechanicals as well as steel protection that is designed to take scrapes or scuffs.

There are live axles front and rear, which is the sort of thing all off-roaders had decades ago but these days only a select few of the really serious ones continue with.

That translates to excellent wheel articulation that allows the tyres to stuff right up into the wheel-arches or droop down in an effort to stay in contact with the terrain.

One downside is the different track front and rear. The rear wheels are 95mm closer together than those up front (it was done to allow for the V8 engine when it was first fitted in 2007). It means that those trudging through sand or mud will have to carve wider tracks because the rear tyres don’t quite follow the fronts.

Many people turn to the aftermarket to widen the track, which in turn improves the stance.

While there’s a great approach angle and excellent 316mm of ground clearance (it varies slightly for other model variants), the departure angle is a lot less impressive; it’s easy to scrape the tow bar tongue when coming off a rock or log.

It also pays to know the basics of the mechanicals underneath to maximise the 70’s progress.

The LC70 has a part-time four-wheel drive system, so you have to manually engage the front axle via the stubby gear lever alongside the main gear selector.

Only use 4L (for low-range gearing) when you really are off-road, for example, to stop binding up the drivetrain. Engaging that will also effectively lock drive between the front and rear axles, acting like a locking centre diff.

Ultimately you can get a wheel or two spinning if it is light or hanging. The traction control tries to sort it out but the better option is to lock the rear diff first and then the front if things are still spinning. It makes for supreme traction and ensures the 70 Series will amble over some seriously challenging terrain.

That super-low first gear comes into its own off-road, too. Ease the clutch out and it starts to crawl over whatever it is you’re trying to conquer.

The snorkel makes traversing water that little easier while also keeping the intake up high where it’s less likely to suck in dust.

What is the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series like inside?

Stepping into the cabin of the 2023 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series is like being teleported back to the 1980s.

There are old-school analogue instruments, not a single button on the steering wheel and you’ll be turning the headlights on manually.

There are also slider controls to adjust the ventilation; they’re stiff to slide but easy to operate on the run, especially if you’re bounding over a rough track. And in true Toyota style the air-con is icy cold.

It’s a compact cabin, too, with the windscreen relatively close to the occupants and the dash quite high.

There’s a very small space behind the seats, but for anything sizeable it’s going in the tray out back.

In one nod to modernity, though, there is a single cup holder between the occupants. In the absence of anywhere to put your phone, though, it makes for a great phone holder.

The finishes and materials are in keeping with the design. Plastics are hard and durable, the roof lining like mouse fur and the painted body colour on display on the top of each door.

Should I buy a Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series?

The 2023 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series is a heck of a lot of money for what is a very basic vehicle.

You’ve got to look past the skinny equipment list and 1980s design to appreciate its merits.

Ultimately the appeal is with a rock-solid core that has been designed and engineered to last for decades while being punished over the world’s harshest terrain.

Also realise that the 70 Series is a building block, with most owners adding accessories and further upping the off-road capability inherent within the basic design.

Like the foundations of an old brick home, the 70 Series cements the DNA of a legend, the sort of car that will likely be going decades after others have been replaced.

It can now do all of that while carrying heavier loads.

2023 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series GXL Single Cab Chassis at a glance:
Price: $76,650 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now – if you ordered a year or two ago…
Engine: 4.5-litre V8 turbo-diesel
Output: 151kW/430Nm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: 10.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 281g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

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