Spotlight: Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series

A small Melbourne importer called B&D Motors is responsible for the Toyota LandCruiser phenomenon.

It sold the first one in 1954 and in 1958 a handful were bought to ply the rugged trails of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme.

Sixty-seven years later the workhorse version, known these days as the 70 Series, is offered as a two-seater single-cab or five-seater double-cab cab-chassis, a five-seater wagon and a Troop Carrier, or Troopy, which seats two in WorkMate trim or five in the higher-spec GXL.

As tough as a two-dollar steak, all Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series models are powered by a 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 coupled to a five-speed manual transmission running through a part-time four-wheel drive system.

As much as there’s a current buying frenzy with the Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series, based around the fact that Toyota is expected to retire the V8 turbo-diesel with the new-generation LC300 coming soon, the Japanese car-maker will continue with a V8 oiler in the 70 Series for the time being.

Badged Workmate, GX and GXL, the 70 Series LandCruiser is priced between $67,400 and $75,600, plus on-road costs.

Let's take a closer look at an Australian favourite to find the one that's right for you and your budget - and recreational pursuits...

Work and play

Kicking off the LandCruiser 70 Series range at $67,400 plus ORCs is the WorkMate wagon with the following standard equipment:

• Air-conditioning
• Driver and passenger airbag
• Bluetooth
• Cruise control
• Satellite navigation
• Hill holder
• Side steps
• Snorkel
• Vinyl trim

Premium paint that accounts for three of the six colours in the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series palette costs an extra $690.

Differential locks add $1500 to the price of a single-cab GX and double-cab WorkMate.

Safety equipment fitted standard across the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series range includes anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, driver and passenger front airbags, and driver assist aids – electronic stability and traction control, along with hill start assist.

However, if you want curtain airbags and a knee bag for the driver your only choices are a LandCruiser WorkMate, GX or GXL in single-cab cab-chassis layout.

A workhorse the 70 Series Toyota LandCruiser may be, but all models get a 6.1-inch touch-screen display with satellite navigation and Toyota Link apps, plus two USB charging ports, a single USB input port and Bluetooth connectivity.

Audio, through two speakers in all cab-chassis variants, is courtesy of an AM/FM radio with MP3 compatibility and a single-disc CD player. If you want to double the number of speakers the cheapest way is with the WorkMate wagon.

Would you rather sit on cloth trim than vinyl? Then select the body style that suits you and make a beeline for the GXL model which also comes with carpet on the floor. But you don't need to worry too much about the floor regardless of your choice, as all models are fitted with all-weather floor mats.

Keeping the cabin tidy is easier in the GXL models as they come with front door pockets, but every example of the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series has two bottle holders (it’s a workhorse after all) and storage in the centre console.

And keeping you cool on hot days, air-conditioning is standard across the range.

Riding on 16-inch steel wheels are all WorkMate variants and both Troopy models, with the LandCruiser GX and GXL single- and double-cab cab-chassis and GXL wagon variants wearing 16-inch alloys.

Ready to tow

Towing capacity across all models is 3500kg braked and 750kg unbraked.

If you want your 70 Series WorkMate ute or wagon to stand out, tick the box for the GXL and get the visually uplifting chrome bumpers front and rear in place of the moulded black numbers on the other variants.

And while front mud flaps are found on all models, the wagon and Troopy have them at the rear too.

Steel side steps are fitted to the single cab-chassis WorkMate and GX, with all other variants having aluminium versions.

Are fog lights and a chrome grille a necessity? For fog lamps, you’ll need to choose the double-cab, wagon or Troopy in GXL form, and if you want to smarten up your 70 Series LandCruiser with a chrome grille, the GXL in any of the four body styles is what you need to go for – and they also come with chrome on the roof drip rails.

Summing up

If I was in the market for a workhorse, the entry-model Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series WorkMate wagon does it for me.

With a huge and flexible cargo area, four doors and enough seats to cart the mob around with and without cargo, plus the ability to go anywhere and tow up to 3500kg, you can't ask for much more.

How much does the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series cost?
WorkMate Single-Cab Cab-Chassis – $68,950
GX Single-Cab Cab-Chassis – $70,950
GXL Single-Cab Cab-Chassis – $73,050
WorkMate Double-Cab Cab-Chassis – $71,500
GXL Double-Cab Cab-Chassis – $75,600
WorkMate Wagon – $67,400
GXL Wagon – $71,500
WorkMate Troop Carrier– $71,350
GXL Troop Carrier – $74,550

*Prices exclude on-road costs