Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series Ute 2024 Review

Toyota Australia announced earlier this month that the long-serving and still incredibly popular Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series V8 is being retired, nearly two years after sales were paused and just six months after it introduced a heavily upgraded model range with a new four-cylinder engine/automatic transmission combination.

So what was, on the face of it, a $4100 premium for the V8 version of the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series Double Cab Chassis GXL – now set to skyrocket beyond the list price of $87,600 plus on-road costs as buyers scramble to secure one through dealer stock – becomes a take-it-or-leave-it proposition for the four-cylinder version when ordering new, priced from $83,500 plus ORCs.

That doesn’t sound like great value for a vehicle with only two airbags and no reversing camera.

But the LandCruiser 70 Series is not a city car designed for commuting or family transport – although it can do the latter reasonably well. It’s designed for remote country travel, farming, the road less travelled and tough environments like the Outback, mine sites, the high country and in-land deserts.

And it’s in these scenarios where the tried, tested and robust Toyota flourishes.

Rivals? There’s not many. But you could add the INEOS Quartermaster ute (from $105,000 plus ORCs) to the list, which is also touted as a go-anywhere, tough-as-nails bush-basher.

The Jeep Gladiator (from $78,250) is also a potential competitor, depending on what you want out of your ute, but whether either the Jeep or the INEOS can stand the test of time like the LC70 – and also generate spectacular resale values – remains to be seen.

Toyota Australia’s website reckons the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series Double Cab Chassis GXL has “classic design, modern features”. One of those is factually correct, the other is best described as creative marketing.

Features like the 130-litre fuel tank, all-terrain tyres, front and rear differential locks and aluminium side steps will jump out at buyers looking for a rugged workhorse, while the addition of front cup holders with the 2024 upgrade is one of those ‘better late than never’ instances.

Mirth aside, the 79 Series GXL dual-cab ute gets a lot more fruit than its predecessor, starting with a new 6.7-inch central touch-screen (up from 6.1 inches) that includes wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, turning the car into a far more versatile vehicle with access to navigation, podcasts, advanced verbal commands and so on.

A redesigned front-end with circular LED daytime running lights enshrouding LED headlights add a hint of modernity to the LC70’s exterior visuals, while automatic high beam headlights and cruise control are included too.

The top-spec GXL has gained a few extra upgrades, ditching the steel wheels for tough-looking 16-inch five-spoke black alloy wheels, plus wider front mudguards, power windows, LED front fog lamps, diff locks front and rear, downhill descent control, central locking, variable intermittent wipers, carpet flooring, cloth seats and a pair of USB-C charging ports.

Like all Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series models – including the 76 Series Wagon, 78 Series Troop Carrier and 79 Series Single and Double Cab Chassis – you get a full-size spare wheel and a snorkel as standard.

Six colours are available, starting with French Vanilla and Sandy Taupe (the colour on test), while Midnight Blue, Graphite (grey), Merlot Red and Silver Pearl add $675.

Toyota’s familiar five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty applies here, extending to seven years for the engine and driveline.

Servicing is costly and the six-month/10,000km intervals mean the ute will spend a lot of time at the dealership or service centre (and travelling to and from it!).

Service costs are the same as the V8 diesel, which means you’ll be shelling out $525 per service for the first 10 services, over five years or 100,000km.

So, before you consider consumable costs such as fuel and tyres, you’re spending just over $1000 per annum on servicing alone, which is very, very expensive.

The Japanese-built 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series Double Cab Chassis GXL is a crocodile. Like the carnivorous cold-blooded reptile, the LC70 hasn’t had to evolve at the same rapid pace as the world around it because it’s classified as a commercial vehicle and tailored to very specific applications.

The LC79 Single Cab Chassis was previously the only model that qualified for a five-star ANCAP safety rating – based on testing conducted way back in 2016 and owing to its extra airbags, ladder-frame reinforcements and so on that were prompted by fleet purchasing policies by mining companies and the like.

This rating was deemed too old to be relevant come January 1, 2024, so all 70 Series models are now unrated.

This lack of an ANCAP rating is unlikely to phase many buyers, and while there are just two airbags (dual front) fitted to the GLX ute on test here, there are a handful of active safety systems such as electronic traction and stability control, anti-lock brakes and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection.

Lane keep assist and speed sign recognition are also welcome, scanning speed limits and road markings in real time, but the lack of a rear-view camera makes the 5235mm-long vehicle challenging to park in built-up areas.

If you’re parking out the front of the Marree Hotel in South Oz, no drama.

The 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series Double Cab Chassis GXL is best described as a low-tech vehicle but the recent updates brought some welcome improvements, starting with the aforementioned 6.7-inch central LCD touch-screen.

However, the new touch-screen deletes GPS-based satellite navigation, which is arguably more important for a lot of buyers who won’t have the reliable phone reception required for most smartphone functions.

As mentioned, there’s now twin USB-C ports for charging and a third USB-A port that connects phone to screen.

Toyota has added a small 4.2-inch digital trip computer on the right-hand side of the instrument cluster, allowing drivers to toggle through fuel usage data, distances travelled and so forth. There’s also a digital speedometer.

With the V8 no longer able to be ordered, the sole powertrain option in the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series Double Cab Chassis GXL – and all other models in the LC70 range – is a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine borrowed from the smaller HiLux ute (but without the mild-hybrid bits).

That’s the ‘bad’ news. The good news? Toyota’s 2.8-litre four-cylinder intercooled turbo-diesel engine integrates very nicely into the LC79 GXL.

Yes, it’s loud, unrefined and has been around for ages but it’s an effective powerplant in this application, not at all struggling to move the double-cab’s 2185kg.

Peak outputs for the 2755cc diesel are 150kW from 3000-3400rpm and 500Nm from 1600-2800rpm, which is 1kW less than the V8 diesel but 70Nm more torque.

Together with the six-speed auto it makes the facelifted LC79 feels more responsive and easier to drive in most conditions – except perhaps towing a heavy load.

Despite being the first four-cylinder Toyota LC70 sold Down Under since 1991, the retro rock-hopper still features a dual-range transfer case, which provides low-ratio gearing for challenging off-road scenarios. Dual locking diffs are also standard on the GXL.

At the announcement of the V8 engine’s axing, Toyota confirmed that a five-speed manual gearbox would become available on the four-cylinder from October 2024 production – on all body styles and model grades except the single-cab utes and WorkMate wagon.

Officially, the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series Double Cab Chassis GXL slurps diesel at a rate of 9.6L/100km, across the combined city/highway cycle.

The reality? A little bit higher at 11.1L/100km, on our week-long test.

Take if off-road for some slow-speed bush-bashing and that figure will rise slightly, and if you’re going to load it up and/or tow, it’ll get much thirstier.

For me, personally, the auto-equipped 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series Double Cab Chassis GXL is not as engaging to drive as the V8 with its five-speed manual transmission, but the four-cylinder ute leveraging a six-speed automatic transmission is without doubt a better all-rounder.

For starters, the auto taps into the meatiest part of the engine’s rev range more effectively (and promptly) than the manual. This in turn gives it more pace off the line and the extra gear ratio means it cruises at 100km/h using less fuel than V8, but that ain’t saying much and it still feels lethargic even at full throttle.

The hydraulic power steering is quaint (read: heavy and slow) by modern standards and it can make tighter manoeuvres hard going, but once up and moving it’s fine. And by fine, I mean somewhat ponderous, requiring regular adjustment to keep the vehicle straight.

Ride comfort is compliant and cushy for a vehicle with leaf springs at the rear axle, and while there’s a bit of tyre roar and a lot of wind noise as air slams ungracefully into the big front windscreen, it’s a reasonable mile muncher.

Despite excellent sight lines thanks to its jacked-up ride height, the 79 Series ’Cruiser is not suited to driving around town and is difficult to park cleanly in built-up areas. It’s not too bad in the suburbs (when in motion) but feels most at home on the highway and on unsealed roads.

One area that has been improved exponentially is nighttime driving, thanks to the uprated LED headlights, which will add big appeal to those who spend a lot of time driving in the country and remote regions.

Pretty good, which is no surprise. With a whopping 302mm of ground clearance and shod with all-terrain (265/70R16) tyres enhanced by high- and low-range gearing and locking diffs, the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series Double Cab Chassis GXL walks up steep and slippery slopes with ease.

An approach angle of 33 degrees won’t make headlines but a departure angle of 27 degrees is reasonably good, and with rear- and four-wheel drive (H2, H4, L4) options available, you can tailor the driveline to different conditions.

It’s fantastic on gravel and dirt roads, even those pock-marked with potholes and riddled with ruts, the suspension happy to take a beating across a wide range of speeds.

Wheel articulation isn’t as good as hoped, meaning that all four wheels don’t always bite into terra firma across undulating terrain, but its rugged steel frame, robust suspension and hardy 4x4 system gives it plenty of scope to explore the path less travelled.

But as we’ve discussed in previous LandCruiser 70 Series reviews, the discrepancy between the front and rear tracks (width between the wheels) means that both ends don’t always follow the same tyre grooves.

That said, many buyers will already have a shopping list of aftermarket upgrades to fit to their LC79, which can solve its modest off-road problems.

Like all LC70 models, gross vehicle mass (GVM) for the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series Double Cab Chassis GXL is 3510kg and gross combined mass (GCM) is 7010kg.

Toyota says payload for the ute is 1115kg at a minimum and rises to 1380kg, better than V8 models by around 80kg, give or take.

It is rated to tow a 3.5-tonne trailer or caravan and is capable of lugging heavy loads in the tray at the same time as towing thanks to a commendable GCM.

Check out our Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series tow test for the nitty gritty on that subject.

It’s no Mercedes-Maybach, that’s for sure. But there are a number of significant updates that make living with the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series Double Cab Chassis GXL far more agreeable than it should be.

The new touch-screen makes the biggest difference to most journeys (once settled in and cruising), because you can play or stream podcasts, get mapping data and more easily use verbal commands to send text messages and other things via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

A pair of USB-C ports also brings faster phone charging.

The seats are perched a little high and don’t have a huge amount of adjustability, front occupants sit very close to the windows and the fuzzy mouse fur trim feels like the velour finish of a Holden-built 1982 WB Statesman. In a word, nostalgic.

Although storage space and modern conveniences are few and far between, and harsh plastics abound, the beauty of the interior is that half of it can be removed with a standard toolkit and with strong aftermarket support owners can retrofit almost anything inside the vehicle.

The back seat bench has a fairly rudimentary set-up – it’s flat, lacking support and tight on legroom. It is not very comfortable for taller types and upright backrests aren’t pleasant.

You can fold the rear backrests down for secure storage space, which confirms the presence of zero child seat anchorage points. No ISOFIX, no top tether strap points, and middle seat victims get a lap-only seat belt, which are inferior to three-point lap-sash belts.

The 2024 Toyota LandCruiser LC79 GXL looks old, feels old and sounds old. It was eclipsed by most modern one-tonne utes in terms of technology and equipment levels two decades ago.

But with age comes wisdom (and a hint a hubris) and herein lies the successful formula that has kept customers flocking back to the big and blocky go-anywhere workhorse.

Simply put, this old beater is fit for purpose and most buyers couldn’t care less whether it has two airbags or is a dog to drive in town.

That’s because it hauls loads across almost any terrain and does it with a level of dependability (and retained value) that few others can match.

2024 Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series Double Cab Chassis GXL at a glance:
Price: $83,500 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 150kW/500Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 253g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested