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.
Fancy a Ford Ranger Wildtrak, Toyota HiLux Rogue or Isuzu D-Max Blade, but need something that’s a bit bigger, bolder and brawnier?
Behold the Ram 1500 Rebel. No, not a Rambler Rebel from the Mad Men era, but a full-sized pick-up truck that’s aimed at younger and/or more-adventure-minded buyers.
Rivalling the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2, it brings a sporty off-road vibe to Australia’s best-selling big US-made ute. Let’s check it out.
It looks like a house brick, it drives like a busted truck, it has less safety gear than a go-kart and fewer standard features than a shopping cart, yet there’s still so much to like about the 2026 Toyota LandCruiser 76 Series.
It’s fun to drive (if you know what to expect), it’s highly functional (for the job-site or camp-site) and one of the best 4WDs straight out of the showroom. And in GXL guise it makes a lot of sense as a work wagon or a touring vehicle.
Sure, Toyota pushes the boundaries of brand loyalty – consistently doing the bare minimum to keep buyers coming back for more – but in the case of the 76, I don’t mind that because this is one of the old-school 4WDs that should always be available.
As with all current-generation Ram 1500s, the Rebel remains one of our favourite full-sized American utes on the Australian market.
Yes, it is not cheap, and a few items standard on the Laramie Sport have been deleted for better or worse, but the Rebel offers better off-road capability without losing any of the regular 1500’s driver enjoyment, comfort, refinement and overall class.
An upsized Ranger Wildtrak with more civility than its redneck reputation suggests.