The revised Toyota Landcruiser offers hard yakka and comfort

An update means the venerated TOYOTA LANDCRUISER 70 won’t become extinct any time soon.

2016 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series Range — Single Cab Chassis GXL (right), Wagon GXL (left), Troop Carrier GXL and Double Cab Chassis GXL (rear). Picture: Supplied

BUSH & BEACH -TOYOTA LANDCRUISER

SAFETY is now standard but comfort remains an option in Toyota’s revised LandCruiser 70 Series.

All variants now have stability and traction control with hill start assist. The volume-selling single-cab versions also pick up five airbags and a revised chassis to achieve a five-star ANCAP score.

Airconditioning, though, remains a $1761 option (fitted) despite what Toyota admits is a nearly 100 per cent take-up rate.

The updates will extend the 30-year lifespan of the LC 70 by another few years by bringing the workhorse up to Euro 5 emissions standards and complying with the Australian Design Rule requirement for stability control.

The single-cab’s top ANCAP rating also puts it back on the fleet list for companies whose occupational health and safety policies require a demonstrably safe vehicle.

Prices have risen $3000 on the double-cab, wagon and troop carrier versions and are up $5500 on the single-cab. The base spec Workmate wagon is the cheapest 70 Series at $60,990; the top-spec GXL double-cab chassis heads the range at $68,990.

Cruise control is standard across the range, there’s a fuse box with 10 slots for accessories, the rims are now one-piece in place of the split rims on the previous version (which were beloved by bushies but didn’t cut it on a corporate vehicle) and they’re now six inches wide and shod with tubeless tyres.

Piezo injectors for the V8 turbo diesel have improved combustion by spraying more uniform diesel particles into the combustion chamber. Power is unchanged but fuel use is down more than 10 per cent, helped by taller ratios in second and fifth gear.

ON/OFF THE ROAD

When the HiLux gets hung up, it is time to call for the ’Cruiser.

There’s not much sophistication in the ladder chassis or rear leaf springs and that’s the point: there’s less to go wrong.

Electronic manipulation of the throttle and brakes on low-friction surfaces — dubbed active traction control — takes the place of a limited-slip differential.

Carsguide traversed some seriously rutted and rock-riddled climbs at the Werribee 4x4 Proving Ground and on ascents didn’t have to reach for the diff lock switch.

The only real limit to the terrain you can traverse — and at what speed — is how hard you’re prepared to jostle the passenger.

River crossings, 70-degree descents, 30-degree tilt angles … the LandCruiser just took on the lot. Yes, it has the turning circle of a small boat and infotainment is a notable omission but neither is a concern in the Toyota’s native environment.

Should you want to hit the big smoke, the LandCruiser is now a more comfortable highway driver courtesy of its taller fifth gear.

VERDICT ★★★★

The LandCruiser occupies a unique niche in the automotive ecology and this update means the venerated vehicle won’t become extinct any time soon.

It makes a tough truck tougher and safer, which should appeal to farmers and fleet managers alike.

 

AT A GLANCE

TOYOTA LANDCRUISER 70 SERIES

PRICE From $62,490

CAPPED SERVICING $2040 over 3 years

SERVICE INTERVAL 6 months/10,000km

SAFETY 5 stars, 5 airbags

ENGINE 4.5-litre V8 turbo diesel, 151kW/430Nm

TRANSMISSION 5-speed man; 4WD

THIRST 10.7L/100km,

DIMENSIONS 5220mm (L), 1870mm (W), 1955mm (H), 3180mm (WB)

WEIGHT From 2165kg

SPARE Full-size

TOWING 3500kg, payload 1200kg