Toyota LandCruiser 70-Series dual-cab ute coming

By Jez Spinks | February 01st, 2012

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The mining boom is set to give birth to another Toyota workhorse with a new dual-cab ute variant of the LandCruiser 70-Series.

Toyota’s work truck namesake to the LandCruiser 200-Series 4WD is currently available in Cab Chassis, Troop Carrier and Wagon forms, though a CarAdvice source says the Japanese brand will respond to demand from mining companies to produce the fourth, passenger-friendly variant.

The dual-cab 70-Series ute is expected towards the end of the year and follows a features-pared base ‘standard grade’ version of the 200-Series LandCruiser introduced last year for mining companies.

Toyota Australia is not yet officially confirming the model, which has yet to be revealed.

“We can neither confirm nor deny such a model,” company spokesman Mike Breen tellingly told CarAdvice.

The dual-cab ute variant will allow mining companies to have a more versatile vehicle that can carry more passengers than the three-seater ’79-Series’ Cab Chassis version (pictured) while still offering the practicality of a tray back.

The dual-cab is likely to be powered by the same 4.5-litre V8 turbo diesel engine that was introduced on the Toyota LandCruiser 70-Series, which dates backs to the early 1980s, in March 2007.

It produces 151kW of power and 430Nm of torque, distributed to the wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox.

The LandCruiser 70-Series develops that peak torque from just off idle at 1200rpm to 3200rpm – giving it a significant tree stump-pulling advantage over Toyota’s highly popular HiLux dual-cab ute that produces 343Nm from its 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel.

The 70-Series has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg compared with the HiLux’s figure of 2500kg.

The LandCruiser 70-Series, which starts at $58,240, sits on old-school underpinnings including rigid live axles and rear leaf springs.

There’s part-time four-wheel drive with a standard rear limited slip differential and optional front and rear diff locks to enhance its off-roading ability.

Fuel consumption for the 70-Series Cab Chassis is officially rated at 11.5L/100km.

The Toyota LandCruiser 70-Series has been an industry mainstay for decades thanks to its towing and no-nonsense capabilities.

The workhorse’s credentials were first established in Australia with the FJ25 versions employed in 1958 on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric scheme.

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Anonymous

Lets see if they’re smart enough to extend rear wheel track this time.
- Xz56
  
  That would take a lot of figuring out they are only motor vehicle designers so don’t expect to much clever stuff . its a Joke that they would do such a stuff up to such a good product
  in the first place.
- Dave7 Sandy
  
  Yeh someone who knows something about real four wheel driving
Tarquin, Hair Artiste

1978 Toyotas are alive and well I see.
- Force-15
  
  It’s because they have live front and rear axles, which makes them (as far as I’ve heard) better for off-road work.
- Igomi Watabi
  
  It’s good to see a company continuing to produce something that people need, rather than dictating some off-beat new trend or, lazier-still, pandering to trends, like the current influx of pointless 2WD SUVs.
Caprice Owner

I know our mining company already get the 70 series wagon and gets them specially cut down into a 4 door ute. There an alright car better than the hiluxes except they are soo rough to ride in the whole range of utes and wagons and cutbacks. And because the alternator is down low in the engine they keep going because of driving through mudholes and waterholes.
- Ibc
  
  Even the Poms were smart enough to put the generators (pre alternators) between the V in the in the 50s.
- TO86
  
  What garbage! There’s a mining company in roma Queensland that has 300 cruiser utes all V8 and they would not have anything else nothing lasts like a cruiser!
  - Caprice Owner
    
    What a load of hog crap have you ever worked on a mine site or is it only some place you have read about i work for the biggest BHP Billition site in QLD and know for a fact our whole fleet isnt toyotas they chop and change each year between what suites their needs you fool.
440 R/T Charger

Australian outback is one tough place to be…the dual-cab 70-Series should sell well in there.
- Phil
  
  But this car isn’t made in Australia…..how could it cope with “Australian conditions”?
  
  Everyone in the Australian Outback should be driving Crudes, Falcoon and Ewwurion.
Eric Knutsen

Why only 430NM from a 4.5L V8

Nissan get 550nm from their 3.0 V6
Ford Mazda get 470Nm from their 5cyl.
Audi 3.0 650Nm of torque (1450-2800rpm),

Solid axles are old skool, stronger but don’t handle as well as Independent suspension.
- Karl
  
  You’re missing the point of this vehicle; it’s supposed to be ultra reliable and durable.
  It’s not about getting the most out of the engine or the best economy.
  The design parameters are very different from Audi, handling isn’t a big priority.
  - Muzz
    
    Thats why they put an air filter that doesn’t actually stop dust going into the motor. The V8 cruisers are time bombs all of them and at 26K a motor not really economical to rebuild. Although mining companies turf these things at 90 000kms for a reason.
- Karl
  
  You’re missing the point of this vehicle; it’s supposed to be ultra reliable and durable.
  It’s not about getting the most out of the engine or the best economy.
  The design parameters are very different from Audi, handling isn’t a big priority.
- TO86
  
  Tell you what i will do “ERIC NUTS” you get one of your show ponys like a AUDI and i will get my CRUISER and we will drive around australia till one car stops, but to make it fair to you I will give you a 100,000km head start, GUESS WHAT YOU WILL LOOSE!
  - Paul Herbert
    
    Can we do it ill take the audi Q7,V12TT
    - BERT
      
      HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!
- Paul Herbert
  
  I know what you meen toyota are behind the times with all there cars they sell. As karl says the only way they can get good sales is because of there durability.
- Matthewryman
  
  People don’t buy them to go to Coles in….,
- Frank Gonzalez
  
  yes but at 1200rpm??? to 3200rpm that’s a very wide torque curve go tow something heavy up a big hill and say bye bye to the Nissan,ford and the Mazda plus you failed to mention the 3.5 ton towing capacity and solid axles perform better in heavy off road work when carrying heavy loads which is what these vehicles are deigned for.
farmer

id highly doubt an audi would be able to pull our tri axle trailer full of cows it would die
farmer

id highly doubt an audi would be able to pull our tri axle trailer full of cows it would die
- Caprice Owner
  
  Dont doubt that for one moment i know a mate of mine who has a new Q7 and trashes the hell out of it gets a new one every 3 years and sells them with 1500000kms never a squeak or rattle in the cab. He drives around his muddy property down on the beach everywhere. Said he’d never own another Toyota. Tows his bit caravan and loves it.
  - TO86
    
    Get real what planet are you from? what a @#%^ story!
  - Camaro09
    
    That is the biggest load of rubbish I have read in a long time! A Q7 Audi wouldn’t do 150,000 kms let alone be trouble free, your a terrible story teller make up something more convincing next time PAL!
    - Paul Herbert
      
      Hey m8 you can’t drive a toyota for 1day with out it being recalled
      - THE TRUTH
        
        At least they recall them and dont turn there back like:
        
        Ford
        Holden
        VW
        AUDI
        BMW
      - Paul Herbert
        
        Yes I know but GM is the worst for recalls and problems aye. At least with a toyota it will run for 1Mil KM aye.
    - Caprice Owner
      
      Would you even know or do you just speak before you let your small brain catch up, after what ive seen him do to his Audis i would certainly have no hesitation buying one and as for recalls have you not seen the news with the amount of recalls toyota had to do with brakes and accelerator problems or have you spent your whole life in a cave!
Johnny

Toyota better extend the wheelbase, if they just use the rear doors from the wagon and leave the wheel base the same. There will be one massive rear over hang.
Phil

Does it come with ABS brakes yet?
- jr
  
  no because it is no help to a farmer on wet grass and a miner in mud
- jr
  
  no because it is no help to a farmer on wet grass and a miner in mud
- King off the road
  
  You obversely have never driven a 4×4 with ABS on sand, mud 0r on a wet red soil road? Till you have ABS on a true off roader is DANGEROUS!
old fart

The vehicles that are displayed in the gallery on the top of this page are the offspring of the toyotas that built the Snowy River Scheme. The country they were developed in is Australia. The Snowys is a place of extremes and if the Scheme had not gone ahead we would not have the almost indestrucable machines in those three photos at the top of the page.
Puremungrel

Old Fart. You idiot. There were hardly any Toyotas on the Snowy River Scheme. That was built by Land Rovers. It was the biggest non military fleet in the world. The Toyotas back then were the biggest pieces of shit ever invented. This is represented by the fact that you never see them anymore, you do still see series 1 and 2 Rovers. I know that your reply will be to shit on Rovers, but I don’t care. I will drive whatever is the best vehicle, but I cannot stand people that have been brain washed by Toyota.

As for no recalls, forget about Toyotas in the USA killing people.
Heathdrendel

Well if Toyota build one of these I will pay the over priced amount becouse were else can you get a v8 duel cab diesel with live axels diff locks and long range tanks thank god some where for the kids dog and the camping gear to go tow the big boat and know you can get parts to fix it anywhere in this big brown land. I would like to see you get a tyre for a q7 on the gibb river road ha ha next best thing would be a tow truck. The Problem is no one actually uses the vehicles for what they are built for so all you city slicker won’t more comfort at the price of off abllity. I praise Toyota for still producing machines that will last half a million ks and still be worth something when you go to trade in. So Toyota build one you have a customer here
- Markdavis2006
  
  i reckon u said it all m8, top job!!!
Bobalong

The only problem with the V8s is you do have some difficulties doing repairs(under the bonnet) in the bush, have you had a look underneath at the front, it needs some protection if your operating on gravel roads, and it may cause some problems if your bogged,I mean realy bogged”", fuel filter needs a bit of an upgrade, some rear wheel spacers if your not carrying to much weight otherwise what else are you going to buy, forget the fuel consumption Toyota say your supposed to get if you drive around 100 to 110 KPm you get around 7km to the litre
Jamrow

A dual cab would be ideal. The only thing missing for those long hauls is cruise control.
Daniel

whack a 6 speed box in one of these new dual cabs and it will be awesome ! – they brag about peak torque @1200rpm, but sit on about 2200rpm @ 100Km/h great truck, but bit thirsty at those revs…….or drop that V8 into a Hilux
- Longy6
  
  6 speed, and the v8 TWIN turbo from the 200, and copy+paste same mechanical format into HiLux as well, then there will be no competition from Ranger+BT50+Navara, and mechanics and mining company remote workshops wont have to keep enough parts for 3 different engines in the shed, just the one cracker, everyone is a winner except the fellas that make the underpowered 3.0L TD HiLux boat anchors. And yes, I’owned 2, good at the time they were released in 2005, but now its 2012, things have moved on a fair bit since then. Check out the Merc-Benz 250CDi engine, amazing outputs, and low consumption, just imagine if Toyota had similar outputs per litre… 150kw and 500Nm from, wait for it, 2.1L (not a typo – check it out for yourself), compared to that, even the Audi 3.0L is a bit last millenium.
Footy

Let’s be really radical Toyota and make it a cab over and keep height down by bringing engine back behind front axle and a bit lower, and seats either side engine like Humvee….
Footy

Let’s be really radical Toyota and make it a cab over and keep height down by bringing engine back behind front axle and a bit lower, and seats either side engine like Humvee….
Footy

Let’s be really radical Toyota and make it a cab over and keep height down by bringing engine back behind front axle and a bit lower, and seats either side engine like Humvee….
- Longy6
  
  Dear Mr Footy, perhaps just check out the HINO (Toyota Trucks) range, there are already 4×4 versions, probably fairly similar to what you are suggesting…
  - Jesse
    
    or the toyota “megacruiser” which is essentially a toyota humvee
Sam

Looks guys. Who gives!! so long as it takes you from point A to B effortlessly. But if its such an issue, tell you waht. You wanna compare offroad vehicles? get very very inexperienced off road drivers to drive those vehicles and see which one gets bogged or wahtever. remember, some drivers make the vehicles look good. here we’re tryna see which vehicle makes the driver look good. Get what Im saying?
Jon

Another variant of the kidney shaker. You brag on about this crappy v8′s that toyota reckon burning 1L of oil per 1000km is “within specs” and clearly are just on the toyota marketing band wagon. The current ones are uncomfortable, small, outdated and overpriced. This one wont be any different.

Having said that, if they actually fitted coils to the rear, upspecced the equipment, dropped the price and made them comfortable i would consider buying one.
Walker

Hey Jon,

I’m sure that’ll battle on regardless.
My Toyotas have got me to some amazing places. I always come across Toyotas when I’m touring through The Outback, The High Country, Cape, Gulf, everywhere.

If I had the money I’d buy a new one and the dualcab would be ideal.

Whatever and wherever you drive, enjoy it.

Walker
Nissan_D40_dud

As an owner of both Nissan, Toyota I will be looking forward to the 4 door coming out. I have a d40 navara with 175,000 km and it has died, new head 4k later did another 2000km and shut down again. Box of shit, my toyotas and old navara (99) still going strong with over 200000km on the clock. Only after 200,000km do get to know how good a vehicle is. As for comfort, I jump in my 100 series for long distance travel. 300,000km and going strong. That’s why people keep buying toyotas!!
Michaelm

I suppose if you cant afford something you might as well bag it hey!!!