Land Cruiser will receive a four-cylinder engine for the first time in almost three decades. Image: Toyota
With Toyota only expected to open order books of the Land Cruiser 70-series in Australia before the end of the year, as a result of being unable to meet demand for almost a year, it has now been revealed that the workhorse will get a four-cylinder engine in addition to keeping the single-turbo 4.5 D-4D V8.
Despite it being well-known that Toyota will electrify its entire global line-up with at least a hybrid configuration by 2025, which will also apply to its commercial vehicles such as the Land Cruiser and Hilux, the initial report from Down Under claims that the four-cylinder 70-series will have a straight-forward turbodiesel without any electrical assistance.
Although believed as far back as last year that the 3.3-litre turbodiesel V6 from the Land Cruiser 300 would replace the V8 that has been part of the 70-series since 2007, the 2.8 GD-6 that powers the Hilux, Fortuner and Quantum has emerged as the ideal favourite in lieu of the incoming hybrid switch.
As is known by now, the four-cylinder will become hybridised, albeit with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, when the next generation Fortuner premieres sometime this year.
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A hybrid Land Cruiser will, therefore, become a certain reality, thus confirming speculation mentioned back in 2019 about a diesel/electric model predicted at the time to have been earmarked for the then-still born Land Cruiser 300.
In announcing the retention of the V8, something Toyota Australia has assured time-and-again for over three years ago, drive.com.au reports that the 2.8 GD-6 will most likely be powerful in spite of its smaller displacement.
As it stands, the GD-6 delivers 150kW/420Nm in the Hilux, 150kW/500Nm in the Fortuner and Hilux equipped with the six-speed automatic gearbox and 165kW/550Nm in the Hilux GR Sport. As a comparison, the V8 Land Cruiser delivers 151kW/430Nm.
Although neither the publication nor Toyota provided any details as to how much twist the GD-6 would produce in the Land Cruiser 70-series, it did announce that the engine would avail an automatic gearbox option not offered since the late 80s when buyers could specify a four-speed self-shifter.
For its part, 2.8 will represent the first time since the late 1980s that the Land Cruiser 70-series will have the option of a four-cylinder engine.
According to Drive, the reason for the GD-6’s inclusion pertains to the 70-series being reintroduced to the Japanese market for the first time since 2013, and where vehicles are taxed on among others; engine size and dimensions.
Despite Toyota Australia not wanting to comment on the matter further, it did tell the publication: “We can confirm we will continue offering a V8 engine with the 70-series in the years ahead”.
Locally, Toyota South Africa Motors confirmed to The Citizen in January that it hasn’t been affected by the same demand constraints as Australia, and that a “stop-order” won’t be placed on sales of the 70-series.
So far this year, a total of 1 675 Land Cruiser 70-series have been sold, comprising the 76 station wagon, the special order only 78 Troop Carrier and the 79 single and double cab bakkie.
For the time being, it remains unknown as to whether South Africa will follow Japan and Australia and receive the four-cylinder 70-series before the year runs its course.
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