Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series V8 axed

Nearly two years after sales were paused in 2022, the venerable Toyota 70 Series V8 is being retired in Australia.

Toyota Australia and its Japanese parent have taken a joint decision for a staggered end to production of 4.5-litre V8 turbo-diesel versions of the popular 4x4 workhorse starting in late 2024 and ending in late 2025, leaving the new four-cylinder as the only 70 Series option for Aussies.

In a media call this morning, Toyota Australia sales and marketing chief Sean Hanley acknowledged the incoming 2025 New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) as playing a role in the demise of the sought-after V8 engine.

But more important than Australia’s incoming CO2 regulations, he said, were “community expectations” and “community sentiments”.

“Environment is on peoples’ minds… and environment is very much around what the community expects companies to do,” said Hanley.

“We believe that community expects that we will reduce our CO2 footprint. We need to be able to show definite steps and definite product counter-measures to do that.

“Today is yet another important marker in how we will reduce our CO2 and NOx [nitrogen oxide particulates] footprint in the future.”

The most recent figures published by the Green Vehicle Guide in 2016 rates the LandCruiser 70 Series V8 manual at 10.7L/100km and 281g CO2/km, making it one of the thirstiest and dirtiest passenger vehicle sold by Toyota Australia.

Toyota also revealed a five-speed manual transmission will be added to the hitherto auto-only 70 Series four-cylinder models from October production, which translates to first deliveries by late 2024/early 2025.

Hanley said Toyota wanted to honour all outstanding orders – which are understood to total in the thousands – for the 70 Series V8, but he could not guarantee that would be the case.

He said some more V8 order-holders may also opt to swap to the 2.8-litre four-cylinder, but he admitted there was not as much demand currently for the four-cylinder as the V8, with wait times as little as three months.

“Our single-minded focus is to get the maximum possible V8 allocation from the factory and deliver them to customers as quickly as possible,” said Hanley.

“It’s our goal is to fill those orders,” said Hanley. “We’ll have a better understanding of the number of V8s available for Australian customers when final production is allocated in the next few months.

“We are quite confident we will be able to get the majority if not all.”

Hanley promised the oldest orders would be catered to first and warned against customers succumbing to dealer price gouging.

“Obviously the value of these cars is going to go up incredibly overnight,” he said. “We are acutely aware of behaviours and we are going to put in very strong processes to try and negate those behaviours.

“My advice to anyone waiting – do not pay over retail.”

But Hanley admitted that price gouging in the used car market – which led to prices of used LandCruiser 200 Series V8s topping $200,000 before the 300 Series V6 arrived – remains beyond Toyota’s control.

Final production of the V8-powered 70 Series Wagon, Troop Carrier and both WorkMate and GX pick-ups will take place in September, with vehicles expected to be in customer hands late this year or early next year.

Production of V8-powered 79 Series GXL single- and double-cabs will continue through to the final quarter of 2025.

“I can understand why some people will regret this landmark decision,” said Hanley. “Since its debut in 2007, this engine has powered more than 170,000 examples of the 70 Series in this country.

“All up we have sold almost 350,000 in total since the first 70 Series arrived in 1985.”

The new five-speed gearbox will be available on most 70 Series body styles and grades except for single-cabs and the Workmate Wagon.

Hanley could not clarify why those models were excluded, but production complexities or technical reasons are the logical probabilities.

The new five-speed manual is derived from the V8 manual and adapted for the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, which has 20Nm more torque.

Compared with the V8’s H150F five-speed, the four-cylinder’s H153F manual has shorter first, second and third gear ratios to aid off-the-line performance.

A triple synchronisation mechanism has been added to the first gear to promote smoother changes.

A longer fifth gear is claimed to improve fuel economy as well as reducing engine noise at highway speeds. No fuel consumption numbers are available as yet.

A flywheel compatible with a 12-inch clutch has been newly adopted, while a dust seal fitted to the rear end plate prevents foreign matter entering the release bearing.

“The market is moving to auto, however, this will be a really good test to see how far and what contribution of sales the manual actually make,” said Hanley.

“There are people out there who still want a manual.”

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