Aussies to the rescue! How Australia saved the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series in Japan - reports

The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series seems set to make a triumphant return in its home market, with the iconic off-roader borrowing from the Australia playbook to breathe new life into the brand's oldest model.

It might be Toyota's most iconic model, but the 70 Series was actually removed from sale in its home market in 2004, before making a brief 12-month comeback in 2014.

Local media blamed safety regulations as the reason for its demise, with Toyota's ageing icon simply unable to keep up with new laws.

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But the model is on the dawn of a triumphant return to Japan, and this time local media is crediting Australia with making it happen.

See, our undying love for the 70 Series has forced Toyota here to keep pace with changing safety laws, with our 2023 model ushering in autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection to the (admittedly pretty sparse) equipment list.

"The upcoming changes are designed to ensure that the legendary LandCruiser 70 Series will continue to be available for the foreseeable future in the Australian market, where its popularity resulted in more than 13,900 sales last year," Toyota Australia's vice president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, said at the time.

"Combined with heavy-duty suspension and 3500kg towing capacity, these upgrades will enhance the versatility and rugged reputation for this legendary vehicle."

Toyota pulled the 70 Series from Australia in July last year due to demand outstripping supply, with some buyers reporting wait times of four years. The big off-roader is still not available for sale here and does not appear on Toyota's website. It's unclear when it will return to dealerships.

The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series seems set to make a triumphant return in its home market.

And that, according to Japanese site Best Car Web, has been enough to green light the model's relaunch in its home market for the first time in around eight years.

In fact, according to the site, the model will go on sale from around September this year, though admittedly with some important differences.

Unlike our V8-powered models, the Japanese version will be fitted with the HiLux and Prado's 2.8-litre turbo-diesel, and will be offered exclusively with the latter's six-speed automatic.

It's not often Australia can shape a model's future in a brand's home market, but this seems like one of this times.