Toyota Landcruiser 70 Series News

It feels like 2021 all over again with strong demand comprehensively out-stripping supply for a popular Toyota model. And this time it’s the 70 Series GXL Wagon automatic.But rather than global supply chain disruptions or customs-related shenanigans, this time around it’s simply a matter of short-term supply exceeding current demand for the tough 4WD five-seater.Toyota Australia has confirmed “strong customer demand and relatively low production levels” have forced it to pause customer orders for the LandCruiser 70 Series GXL Wagon automatic variant as of July 17, 2025.But the brand said the sales pause only affects this single model, adding it has good supply of all other LandCruiser 70 Series variants with some models in stock ready for immediate sale and others open to order for delivery within two to four months.Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the decision to pause availability of the auto GXL Wagon “would provide customers with more certainty around delivery times for existing orders”.“We know in the past, particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic and during the global semi-conductor supply shortage, vehicle supply challenges caused a degree of frustration with our customers with wait times for delivery of new vehicles being extended significantly.“We never want to be the cause of that frustration again so together with our dealer network, we are committed to carefully managing any supply issues to provide complete transparency for customers when issues outside our control arise.“We continue to work with our parent company in Japan to optimise production and supply levels of all Toyota vehicles to ensure we can deliver and satisfy Australian customer demands,” Hanley said.Offered in Wagon, Troop Carrier and Double Cab Chassis form in GXL trim, as well as a Troop Carrier and Double Cab Chassis in the WorkMate grade, all LandCruiser 70 Series models are now powered by the same 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine used in its HiLux ute sibling.The WorkMate Wagon and all Single Cab Chassis models are offered with six-speed automatic transmission only, while others in the line-up offer a choice of five-speed manual or the auto.The launch of an updated four-cylinder LandCruiser 70 Series in late 2023 signalled the beginning of the end of the rugged body-on-frame off-roader’s previous 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 engine.But despite the recent departure of that long-serving powerplant Toyota says it has seen the appeal of the 70 Series grow across the range, although according to industry statistician, VFacts, registrations of the ‘Landcruiser PU/CC’ are down just over 15 per cent year-on-year for the first six months of 2025.

Kia has just made a surprise confirmation that its new Tasman ute is currently being evaluated by police forces around Australia, and that had us thinking: what police vehicles are out there that aren’t the usual suspects?That's right, we're not talking police versions of the Kia Sorento, nor the Hyundai Tucson, or the Volkswagen Passat and Tiguan. We mean the left-of-field police cars. The ones you really might not have known were out there on the roads.So, with a little bit of help from Australian Police Vehicles Facebook group, here are our top five favourite police cars you might not have seen coming. Hyundai’s big eight-seater SUV is doing some undercover work for Victoria Police. This one spotted recently by Issacc Brown from IB Emergency Photography in the regional Victorian town of Sale happens to be the Calligraphy Black Ink edition of the Palisade. Exclusive to the Calligraphy Black Ink edition are 20-inch black glossy alloy wheels, tough looking dark-tinted radiator grille and black suede seats inside. The Palisade comes with two drivetrains and all-wheel drive which is powered by a 2.2 liter 4 cylinder turbo diesel or a front-wheel drive variant which uses a 3.8-litre V6 petrol. Oooh! NSW Police has got themselves a Chevrolet Suburban RST and this one spotted and snapped by Clinton J Down Photography is serving with the Tactical Operations Unit TOU. The RST grade means the large SUV comes with a 5.3-litre petrol V8, air suspension, 22-inch alloy wheels and luxurious interior features.The TOU role is “the safe resolution of high risk situations without loss of life, injury to persons or damage to property.”While this unmarked SUV is doing its best not to be noticed it’s hard not to miss something so enormous and rare on our roads.The Northern Territory Police are using an unmarked Ford F-150 as seen here snapped by an anonymous poster to the Australian Police Vehicles Facebook.While this full-sized American pickup truck is so large it almost blocks out the sun, it’s looking pretty inconspicuous as a police vehicle. The giveaways that this F-150 is serving on the force are the tiny LED emergency lights integrated subtly into the grille. You’d never know… well, almost.From what we can see this looks like the XLT grade which comes with a 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol engine and part-time four-wheel drive.Here’s one Kia kept quiet - Tasmania’s police has a Carnival people mover on its force as seen here in a photo taken by Taliesan Sharman.We’re big fans of the Carnival at CarsGuide with it not only being practical but great to drive making it the perfect big family car. This one seen here looks like just another suburban family hauler especially with the roof box and awning, but on closer inspection you’ll see emergency LED lights integrated into the grille and radio aerials.  There have been some tough looking police vehicles, but not many can claim to being as tough as a Police Rescue Squad Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series as snapped here by Fleet Street Photography.This is a 2019 70 Series, which sports a 4.5-litre diesel V8 and was only available with a five-speed manual gear box. While more uncomfortable to pilot than a camel, if you did happen to have got yourself into an accident somewhere incredibly remote the chances of one of these vehicles making it to you and getting you out of there is 100 per cent.

New Australian Design Rules (ADRs) will begin to bite from March 1, 2025, requiring all new vehicles to be sold with auto emergency braking (AEB) systems. The rules mean major withdrawals from the Australian new-car market but they aren’t quite as widespread as you might imagine, with some manufacturers putting in the effort to keep their cars on the right side of the law. Falling in line with United Nations safety protocols, ADR 98/00 — Advanced Emergency Braking for Passenger Vehicles and Light Goods Vehicles requires the fitment of AEB, a life-saving technology that can automatically apply the brakes if a car senses an impending crash. These systems have various levels of effectiveness but the latest rule change is concerned with being able to detect other cars on the road. The systems must function at least between 10-60km/h and be able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop on a dry road from 40km/h. They must also switch on every time the car is started. This applied to new models of passenger car, light and medium commercial vehicles from March 1, 2023 and will cover all new vehicles imported into Australia from March 1.Mitsubishi is the hardest hit by the new rules, no longer able to sell the Pajero Sport off-road SUV or Eclipse Cross small SUV. The long-running ASX is also affected but Mitsubishi’s small SUV will be replaced by a new model this year.Next casualty is the cut-price Suzuki Ignis, which is not fitted with the technology. A new model, the Fronx, will replace it but probably not at its bargain price. Entry-level Vitaras will also be affected, though the brand did not respond to our query. The Porsche 718 would have been hit by the rule change, but production ceased in September with a new electric generation coming equipped with AEB. Another affordable brand slugged with the need for AEB is LDV, its cheap V80 large van is not equipped with the technology but, like the Porsche, production ended last year and all that’s left is existing stock. The entry trim T60 ute and all G10 van trims also lack AEB. CarsGuide was informed by a spokesperson that both “will meet the upcoming requirements for ADR 98/00”, with more news to share in the coming months. The Toyota Granvia people mover has also been given the chop. Onto the, perhaps unlikely, candidates that are equipped with AEB. Despite their age, these vehicles remain important sellers for carmakers, so it was clearly worth investing.There is none older than the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series, over 40 years old its mid-life crisis (or glow-up) saw Toyota add crucial AEB including pedestrian, cyclist and motorcycle detection. Toyota also, a little sneakily, bumped the GVM beyond 3500kg to 3510kg in 2023. The value of this is that the 70 Series becomes reclassified as a medium goods vehicle, allowing it to dodge the latest side impact regulations that would’ve seen an imminent sales stop. The Toyota Fortuner, current HiLux and GR86 manual are all equipped with AEB that permit sale in Australia up to, and beyond, 2026.Another ageing model due for replacement is the Nissan Patrol, though the new version is not due until 2026 the Y62’s many life-cycle updates saw ‘Intelligent Emergency Braking’, an AEB system that can detect cars and pedestrians, way back in 2019.Also worth noting is the British Ineos Grenadier off-roader, the first batch does not have AEB. Cheekily, orders opened in May 2022 (before the mandate for all-new models) but customers didn’t receive cars in bulk until the first quarter of 2023, and Australian media only sampled the cars in December of that year. CarsGuide understands that all Grenadiers and Quartermasters will be equipped with AEB from March onwards.The Australian Government has launched a review into ADRs going forwards now there is no longer local manufacturing to legislate (and protect). The next big active safety ADR change (revised as ADR 98/01) is due in August 2026, when all cars sold must have AEB systems that can intervene if a pedestrian is detected in the path of a vehicle. Some carmakers, including Nissan and Mitsubishi, have called for this to better align Australia’s laws with Europe, Japan and the USA promoting greater affordability and fast-tracking of more efficient models. 

The car industry is based on constant model renewal. Cycles have been getting shorter and shorter, with the main industry settling on between six and eight years as the norm. 

Crosshairs are currently rumoured to be set upon one of Toyota’s iconic models, a 4X4 that’s recently had its line-up culled much to the dismay of traditionalists - the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series, or LC70.

The first symptoms of serious market change are afoot. Not only did 2024 mark the end of a host of individual nameplates, it also saw the demand of one the oldest brands in Australia after decades of flagging sales. 

Australians will once again be able to buy the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series with a manual gearbox.

Following Toyota’s decision to cease production of the iconic V8 LandCruiser 70 Series this year, rumours about whether the model might soon be on the chopping block altogether have circulated online.These rumours have caught the attention of BestCar, a Japanese automotive publication with close ties to industry sources.The publication recently identified one rumour, which has done the rounds on X and YouTube, from a LandCruiser enthusiast account in Japan called MIDDELED5.A video posted by the account — translated to English — suggests Toyota will cease sales of the 70 Series in Japan once all current domestic orders are fulfilled, citing information obtained by the author from a local sales executive.In Japan — one of the vehicle's few right-hand drive markets outside of Australia — the sales backlog for a 70 Series is reportedly well into 2026, according to BestCar, which means if the rumours are true local sales could come to a close that same year.The 70 Series is also no longer available for lease in Japan through KINTO, Toyota's vehicle subscription service, with its name being wiped from the line-up of available Toyota vehicles to rent.Toyota previously the announced the 70 Series would be available for rent through KINTO when the brand announced its reintroduction into the Japanese market last November, with 400 units allocated for domestic sale per month.That said, there has been no official confirmation from Toyota that it plans to discontinue the 70 Series anytime soon. The end of production could just impact the Japanese market, but BestCar also found no evidence of this upon contacting local dealers.CarsGuide similarly canvassed Toyota dealers across Australia who acknowledged wait times of up to 18 months for the new four-cylinder variant, though none suggested that they had received any word of production ending.In a statement, a Toyota spokesperson said to CarsGuide: "The LandCruiser 70 Series remains the go-to vehicle for anyone that needs serious off-road capability and heavy-duty payload and towing capacity. We are confident it will be a vital part of our model line-up for years to come."The current-generation LandCruiser was unveiled in Australia last year when Toyota announced the introduction of a four-cylinder powertrain, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, for the first time in the 70 series’ history.In July, Toyota announced production of the iconic V8 70 Series would cease, while simultaneously announcing it would introduce a five-speed manual transmission option across the four-cylinder range in an attempt to allay consumer backlash.It has remained extremely popular despite going four-cylinder-only, but as the oldest vehicle in Toyota’s line-up the 70 Series is bound to have an expiry date in the not-so-distant future, particularly as New Vehicle Emission Standards come into effect next year.But when exactly that will occur remains just rumours — at least for now.

How did Toyota get away with offering such an old, underwhelming V8 for so long...

What might be the most predictable bombshell in Australian automotive history was finally dropped last week, when Toyota in Australia finally conceded that the LandCruiser 70 Series' V8 engine option was being axed, and would never return to Aussie roads.