TRY shopping for a brand new Toyota LandCruiser 70 Sequence and you may be requested politely to bugger off and are available again later, months later.
If shopping for a used one at public sale or from a seller, you’ll fork out tens of 1000’s over the percentages. This car remains to be in critical demand and never simply by farmers.
The powerful outdated truck has come full circle from being only a farm or mining workhorse to being critically coveted by a large viewers together with metropolis people dreaming of a tree-change.
As a phenomenon, it’s troublesome to place it right down to any explicit issue however the prompt enterprise asset write off might be an influencer in addition to purchaser desire for an analogue car good for heavy-duty work somewhat than a digital new mannequin something-or-other wannabe fourbie.
GoAuto lately secured per week within the uncommon LandCruiser 79 Sequence seventieth Anniversary single cab restricted version and we got here away shocked on quite a lot of ranges.
On getting into the GXL-based 79 Sequence seventieth you’ll be able to’t assist however discover how “old fashioned” it’s when it comes to format and controls. Identical to a time warp again 30 odd years regardless of token efforts by Toyota to replace the beast for the twenty first Century. They needn’t have bothered because it’s probably consumers desire old fashioned design and performance anyway.
The windscreen is sort of perpendicular, there’s minimal seat again recline (single cab), the five-speed manual-only gear stick is lengthy with a large gate between ratios, there’s a secondary 4WD selector lever on the transmission tunnel and the free-wheeling hubs are manually engaged.
In different phrases, you must get out of the car and switch the dial within the centre of the wheel to totally interact four-wheel drive. Yep, it’s an actual throwback.
There are a couple of concessions to modernity similar to air-conditioning (with attention-grabbing controls), energy steering thank goodness and a rudimentary audio system. The 2 comfortable seats within the single cab/chassis model pushed right here have some adjustment and fold ahead to permit small objects to be squeezed in behind.
Apart from that, minimal storage is offered other than a centre console lidded field and door pockets. You possibly can after all put absolutely anything you want within the tray in need of a small hatchback.
This lack of cabin storage is presumably one of many predominant criticisms of the car pushed however is a mirrored image of its design age and supposed function. Purchase the twin cab ute or wagon variants and the issue diminishes.
The Restricted Version 70th Anniversary mannequin scores some extra goodies just like the black heritage grille with ‘TOYOTA’ lettering matching the black entrance bumper and wheel arch flares.
This “stealth” remedy continues with darkened 16-inch alloy wheels and headlamp bezels, whereas the entrance fog lamps and daytime working lights have been upgraded to LED models.
Marking the anniversary is a ‘Heritage’ LandCruiser badge above the entrance wheel arch, in addition to a ‘seventieth Anniversary’ emblem.
Inside, the special-edition LandCruiser options quite a lot of premium choices not beforehand provided on LandCruiser 70 Sequence.
The seats are clad in black upholstery whereas black leather-accented trim has additionally been utilized to the steering wheel and equipment shifter.
The inside’s atmosphere has been additional enhanced with a woodgrain-look trim and instrument panel, silver accents for the air vents and black remedy for the swap trims on the doorways.
A newly designed black centre console has additionally been fitted, full with two extra 2.1-amp Kind A USB chargers and a pair of cup holders.
Solely 600 examples of the seventieth Anniversary LandCruiser have been produced – 320 double cabs, 200 single cabs and 80 wagons. No Troopy. Every was obtainable in three colors: French Vanilla, Merlot Purple and Sandy Taupe.
That is all most likely irrelevant now as all would have been offered however that is how they have been priced at launch again in September final 12 months: from $80,050 (single cab), $82,600 (double cab) and $78,500 (wagon) plus on highway prices with no motion on value since.
The platinum anniversary mannequin marks the 1951 arrival of Toyota’s BJ in Japan, which three years later was renamed LandCruiser – a model that has gone into folklore and been affixed to greater than 10 million autos offered worldwide.
When the seventieth Anniversary mannequin was launched, Toyota Australia vp of gross sales, advertising and marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley stated Australian prospects had made LandCruiser the icon it’s at this time with 1.14 million offered domestically.
As anticipated from a car similar to this, all 70 collection ‘Cruisers have excessive and low-range gearing, 3500kg braked towing capability, entrance and rear differential locks, a raised air consumption and 130-litre gasoline capability.
Some security upgrades are because of filter via this month with a pre-collision security system incorporating autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and bicycle owner detection, in addition to a payload improve that reclassifies the ‘Cruiser up from the sunshine to the medium items car class to sidestep re-engineering for brand spanking new security necessities.
It already has fundamental security expertise that features anti-lock braking, traction management, car stability management and hill-start help.
