Back in August, Toyota launched the 70th Anniversary Special Edition of the immortal Land Cruiser 70 Series for the Australian market, and now the company is bringing a similarly specced pickup in South Africa. Unlike Australia, which got 600 units of the 70th Anniversary Special Edition divided into 320 double cabs, 200 single cabs, and 80 wagons, South Africa only gets an undisclosed number of single-cab and double-cab pickups codenamed Land Cruiser 79. For those who aren’t good with bodystyle codes, the 76 is the wagon (SUV) and the 78 is the troop carrier.
Besides the 70th-anniversary badges, the
flagship trim level stand out visually thanks to a redesigned grille with
Toyota lettering, a snorkel, an off-road bumper with integrated bull-bar, a
hood scoop, a metal rear bumper, and a different bed cover. The model is
available in either Ivory White or Sand Beige exterior color with standard
16-inch alloy wheels and 265/70R16 tires.
In terms of off-road credentials, the
pickup has a respectable 235 mm ground clearance, a 33° approach
angle, and a 27° departure angle irrespective of the bodystyle. In fact,
besides the addition of rear doors and the second row of seats, the total
length of 5,245 mm and the 3,180 mm wheelbase are
identical in both variants. Towing capacity is 3,500 kg braked
while the rear bed can hold up to 1,005 kg of cargo.
The turbocharged 4.5-liter V8 diesel
engine produces 202 hp and 430 Nm of torque,
sending power to all four wheels through a five-speed manual transmission with
standard low-range gearing and front/rear differential locks. If you were
wondering about performance, top speed is 160 km/h, although low rpm
torque is always more important in a traditional body-on-frame offroader like
this.
Despite the fact it was first introduced
back in 1984, the 70 Series Land Cruiser has been updated several times with
the last facelift bringing a more modern dashboard. The South African
anniversary model doesn’t get the fancy steering wheel or the wooden trim and
leather upholstery of the equivalent Australian version, but it does come with
a 6.1-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring Navigation and Apple CarPlay /
Android Auto connectivity. Other than that, standard equipment is basic, including
manual air-conditioning, bottle holders, electric windows, a lockable glove
box, and an anti-theft system.
The Land Cruiser 70th Anniversary Edition
is already available in South Africa at a price of R 889,700 (US$ 54,869) for the
single cab, or R 943,100 (US$ 58,162) for the double cab. By comparison, the
significantly more modern Land Cruiser Prado starts at R 997,500 (US$ 61,548),
while the cheapest variant of the brand-new Land Cruiser Series 300 sells for
R 1,283,200 (US$ 79,177).
