Toyota Kills V8 From 70 Series Land Cruiser, But Adds Manual To 4-Cylinder

The carmaker actually stopped taking orders for V8 Land Cruiser 70 Series models two years ago

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Few off-roaders are as iconic as the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series, and for many years, the classic hauler has been available in certain markets with a 4.5-liter turbodiesel V8. However, the end is nigh for this engine, as the carmaker confirmed it will be axed after all existing orders are built.

In Australia, the Land Cruiser 70 Series has been available since 1985. Of the 346,742 units sold since then, 171,010 have been equipped with V8s. The current 4.5-liter turbodiesel V8 was launched in 2007 and develops 202 hp at 3,400 rpm and 316 lb-ft (428 Nm) of torque at 1,200 rpm.

Read: You Can Buy A 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser At MSRP – Or Even Less

While recently speaking with members of the Australian media, the vice president of sales, marketing, and franchise operations for Toyota Australia, Sean Hanley, noted the engine was being scrapped “due to changing regulations,” and that the only other option was to ditch the model altogether, which isn’t something the company was willing to do.

Hanley confirmed that the final V8-powered 70 Series models will be built in September 2024. Given the extraordinary demand for the classic Land Cruiser, Toyota stopped taking orders for V8 models two years ago and is still working through the backlog.

While the V8 70 Series will no longer be available, Toyota will continue selling the Land Cruiser with the same 2.8-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder it’s been available with since 2023. This engine has been borrowed from the Hilux and produces 201 hp and 331 lb-ft (449 Nm), or 15 lb-ft (20 Nm) more than the outgoing V8.

New customers will be pleased to know that starting in October, this four-cylinder can be coupled to a modified version of the five-speed manual transmission from the old V8. Toyota has modified the first, second, and third gears to improve performance while installing a longer fifth gear to improve fuel economy.