Around two years ago, Toyota gave the LandCruiser 70 (AKA LC70) a special 70th birthday in the form of a special 70th Anniversary Edition. Launched in Australia, the limited edition LC70 gets blacked-out accents on the exterior, special 16-inch black alloy wheels, and all-black leather upholstery.
It also comes with a unique wood trim panel on the dashboard and on top of the steering wheel, two USB charging ports on the centre console, a pair of cupholders, and a special plaque that shows the classic Land Cruiser logo. Only 600 units were ever made and most were probably picked up right away by a special group of customers.
While the 70th Anniversary special only came in limited numbers, the LC70 is still being sold in Australia and in other select markets like Japan. For the longest time, however, it was only available with one engine, a 4.5-liter twin-turbo diesel V8 that churns out 203 PS with 430 Nm of torque and is paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox. In other countries, the vehicle even gets a 4.0-liter V6. In the future though, it will get another engine.
According to a report by Drive, orders for the LC70 in Australia are expected to reopen by the end of 2023 after temporarily suspending orders last year due to overwhelming demand and parts shortage. What’s even better is that Toyota will add a new engine variant for the LC70.
It will be available with the 2.8-liter 1GD-FTV turbo-diesel engine found in the Hilux and Fortuner. While official output figures have yet to be revealed, the LC70 with the 2.8L turbo-diesel will likely produce 203 PS and 500 Nm of torque. And should the engine be derived from the 2023 Hilux GR Sport, the 2.8L could also produce more at 224 PS and 550 Nm of torque.
With that, the new turbo-diesel is expected to produce more horsepower and torque than the V8. But for those that still prefer the good ol’ 1VD-FTV V8, don’t worry as the twin-turbo diesel will continue to be available. But with the 1GD-FTV producing more pulling power with half the cylinders and displacement, we can’t help but wonder if Toyota will eventually drop the eight-cylinder diesel.
While this is good news for the Australian market, what good does this bit of news be for us in the Philippines? Well despite the LC70 not being available officially in our country, that hasn’t stopped enthusiasts (and grey market importers) from getting the LandCruiser 70. In fact, you might have already seen several examples of the new LC70 pick-up (or SUV) being driven by some motorists on the road. In addition, the LC70 with the 2.8L turbo-diesel will also reportedly be available also in its home market which is Japan.
Do you think the 2.8L turbo-diesel will work well in the LC70 aside from the tried-and-tested V8 engine? Let us know in the comments.