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Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series V8 safe! Iconic off-roader to stick with eight cylinders despite LC300 shrinking to a V6 diesel

Toyota's iconic Land Cruiser 70 Series is safe.

Toyota's iconic 70 Series won't undergo the same engine shrinking treatment that the LC200 will receive, with the model's popular V8 diesel safe in Australia.

That's the word from Toyota's senior management, who told the CarsGuide that rumours of the V8 diesel's demise had been greatly exaggerated.

The popular - if old-school - model has undergone something of a resurgence in Australia, with international border closures seeing home-holidayers turning to the LandCruiser nameplate in huge numbers.

But while the incoming LC300 will lose the LC200's V8 diesel in favour of a new V6 donk, the 70 Series' tried and tested V8 diesel will remain with "absolutely no change" planned for that model.

"I don't know where this is coming from," says Toyota's VP of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley.

"Categorically, there is no plan that any of us are aware of to drop that car.

"It's a great market, and a strong market, it just keep going."

Rod Ferguson, Toyota Australia’s General Manager of Product Planning and Development, added: "And no change to the engine."

It's good news for fans for the 70 Series' 151kW/430Nm 4.5-litre turbo-diesel engine, which will soon be the only diesel V8 on offer in the LandCruiser family.