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Toyota has dragged its toughest car into the 21st century, adding a raft of new technology to the LandCruiser 70 Series family.

The brand will finally add traction control, stability control and cruise control to its rugged workhorse as part of a running update due in the fourth quarter of the year.

The upgrades include hill start assist control and electronic brake force distribution.

Single-cab versions also benefit from additional airbags, adding curtain and driver's knee protection to existing driver and front passenger airbags, taking the total count from two to five.

Toyota spokesman Stephen Coughlan says the company hopes its single-cab 70 Series will receive a five-star safety rating.

"The aim is to have the ANCAP rating in place by the time the vehicle goes on sale at the end of this year," he says.

Toyota engineers racked up more than 100,000 kilometres of testing in harsh conditions while calibrating its traction and stability control systems for off-road use.

The revised machine features a stiffer frame with thicker side rails as well as re-tuned springs and shock absorbers. Its 4.5-litre turbo diesel V8 engine receives new piezo injectors, though the 150kW/430Nm motor, five-speed manual transmission and manually-lockable four-wheel-drive system are otherwise unchanged.

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