Toyota Celebrates Land Cruiser's 70th With Retro Truck
In the current automotive era, “real” sport utility vehicles have become a rare commodity. Manufacturers tend to pitch their crossovers as tough and capable of providing great off-road performance, but many of them turn out to be just elevated versions of the cars they aim to replace.
The Toyota Land Cruiser, however, can be still be called a real "truck.” Built using a body-on-frame configuration, it combines the reliability of Toyota's mechanical components with all the hardware needed to conquer the worst road (or non-road) conditions.
- Also: Confirmed: Legendary Toyota Land Cruiser to Return to Canada
- Also: New Toyota Land Cruiser Teased Again, World Premiere Date Announced
Toyota recently unveiled the latest specifications for the 2022 Land Cruiser - which is unlikely to land in North America. -, and the Australian branch of the manufacturer took the opportunity to launch a limited run edition which celebrates 70 years of Land Cruisin’. It will be offered in three configurations - single-cab pickup, double-cab pickup and wagon configuration.
The septuagenarian sports a decidedly retro look with visuals that commemorate the boxy look long adorned by the Land Cruiser. One of the most striking features is the logo on the front which uses the "TOYOTA" lettering instead of the oval Japanese brand emblem. And there are also the bumpers which are painted in a different colour than the body, a typical feature from when people didn’t really care about colour matching.
Dans l’habitacle, les occupants pourront profiter d’un intérieur aux accents rudimentaires, avec une sellerie en cuir noir, des garnitures en imitation bois sur le tableau de bord et des commandes analogiques pour le plaisir des nostalgiques et puristes du modèle. Des emblèmes spécifiques au modèle sont également parsemés à l’intérieur ainsi que sur la carrosserie.
In the cabin, occupants will enjoy a visibly rudimentary accents, complete with leather upholstery, imitation wood trim on the dashboard and analogue controls which will certainly please nostalgics and purists of the model. Model-specific emblems can also be found inside and outside. Under the hood, this Land Cruiser is powered by a 4.5-liter turbodiesel V8 engine that delivers 202 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque.
Everything is channelled to the four wheels via a five-speed manual transmission – you won’t find an automatic gearbox on the order sheet. Only 600 units of this special edition Land Cruiser will be made, and all will be sold in Australia. The Land Cruise is not commercialized in Canada. However, you can get a Lexus LX, which is basically a posher version of this iconic Japanese 4x4.