Toyota Landcruiser 70 Series vs Lexus LX

What's the difference?

Part of the undeniable charm of Toyota’s 70 Series LandCruisers is the fact they don’t change much, if at all. Sure, the much-loved V8 has been dropped from new 70s in recent years, and it now has LED headlights and a new multimedia system, but otherwise not a lot has been altered. And that’s good.

Because, in a world where everything is so slick, and everyone is so worried about offending someone, the 70 stands out as unapologetically being simply what it is: a boxy truck-like live-axle 4WD.

It's not pretty, it's not comfortable and it offers few, if any, real concessions to occupant safety. But it's very capable off-road and has a ton of potential as a handy touring vehicle.

Toyota has a bad habit of doing the bare minimum with its new-release vehicles, yet the loyalists keep coming back for more and new Toyota fans keep turning up, as well.

It seems this kind of ‘do nothing’ approach works wonders in terms of maintaining the appeal of something like the HiLux or 70 Series line-up.

But does it really? We tested the 2026 Toyota LandCruiser 76 Series in GXL trim to find out.

Read on.

The march away from diesel power and towards a petrol-hybrid future in off-roaders continues. Okay, so it’s a full-sized Lexus we’re talking about, but the off-road credentials of the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series-based Lexus LX have never been in question, have they?

The full-sized, super-lux Lexus LX might never see the Simpson Desert or the Old Telegraph Track, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t tackle either with a fair degree of ease. So there’s no way Lexus would allow a new hybrid driveline to compromise any of that. Besides, this is the same driveline that will take the LandCruiser on its next step, so you better believe it’s the real deal.

Of course, the Lexus badge and somewhat frightening price tag also infer a high degree of plush and tech, and, let’s be honest, those elements are more likely to get a leading role in the LX’s day-to-day strut, as opposed to the walk-on part played by the off-road stuff.

So does all this make the LX one huge, high-tech mash up of conflicting priorities, then? That probably depends on how pragmatically you view motor vehicles generally, but one thing’s for sure, if the hybrid LX is paving the way for the next generation of LandCruiser powerplants and drivelines, then we’re all ears.