The legendary Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series V8 isn’t quite dead… but imminent Australian emissions standards mean the hangman’s noose is closer than ever.
Orders for the LC70 V8 remain closed as Toyota Australia works through a significant backlog; at one point, dealers were quoting wait times of four years “or never”.
Now, looming emissions standards mean it’s increasingly unlikely orders will reopen for the 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 in Australia.
Toyota this week told media it’s facing steep fines for overstepping the proposed CO2 cap in the Federal Government’s preferred New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) due to the significant number of large SUVs (think LandCruiser 300, Prado, Fortuner, and Kluger) it sells locally.
More relaxed standards (relative to passenger cars and SUVs) have been proposed for light commercial vehicles (LCVs) like the HiLux and LandCruiser 70, but the LC70 V8 likely still emits too much CO2 to be viable for Toyota in Australia.
That means it’s “probably a car you’d look at [removing from Australia] upfront” when the NVES hits, according to Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley.
Toyota is currently rolling out a version of the LandCruiser 70 with a version of the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine from the HiLux and HiAce.
Part of that process is offering customers waiting for a V8 the chance to convert their order to a four-cylinder with a shorter wait time, although some of those buyers have already opted to hold out for the bent-eight.
The 4.5-litre V8 in question
According to Mr Hanley, the prospect of pulling the plug on the V8 “always existed before NVES, but now it’s probably cemented in our thinking”.
Were it to be cut off, Toyota Australia would then “have to see” how many more it could produce to fulfil back orders.
“Then I think it’s happy days,” Mr Hanley said. “2.8L auto LandCruiser 70, Euro 6 compliant, is our future.”
With 150kW and 500Nm on tap, the four-cylinder has just 1kW less power than the V8, and packs 70Nm more torque. It’s also mated with a six-speed automatic transmission, where the V8 is only offered with a five-speed manual.
Australia isn’t the only place where the V8 appears on its way out the door.
A report from South Africa points to the venerable bent-eight being removed from the LC70 wagon in August 2024, before being removed from the single- and dual-cab ranges in early 2025.
That same report suggested the decision to kill the V8 was a global one, rather than one specific to the South African market.
