2024 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series: How the four-cylinder auto came to be

Toyota recently announced its 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series range will be powered by a 1GD 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine backed by an Aisin six-speed automatic transmission – a huge pivot from the venerable V8-powered manual.

Why the downsize? At a recent Toyota showcase, Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia vice president for sales, marketing and franchise operations, explained how the four-cylinder Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series came to be … and it all began with a WTF moment.

"Engineers of course have a unique sense of humour,” Hanley stated, talking about the genesis of the four-cylinder 70 Series. “So they've been referring to this project as WTF … not what you think, it's why the four?

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“Let me tell you why. Their involvement [Australian engineers] in this new vehicle goes back five years to when they hosted their engineering colleagues in Japan on what we call a Genchi Genbutsu tour.”

Genchi Genbutsu is a key principle of Toyota’s production system and translates to ‘real location, real thing’ or ‘go and see’ – to understand a situation, one should observe it where it is taking place.

“Genchi Genbutsu literally translated means go to the source; go and find out; go and experience yourself; go and see for yourself where and how this vehicle is used,” Hanley said, “so that you can truly and deeply understand why it's so important to continue production of the 70 Series for our Australian market, and that they did.”

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A contingent of engineers flew over from Japan to witness first-hand how real customers use the 70 Series in places like Central Australia, where terrain is extreme and locations remote.

“They saw that the 70 Series is not just the vehicle of choice for miners and farmers; it's often a vehicle that's relied on by park rangers working way off the beaten track, and for delivering essential services to remote communities including in emergencies,” Hanley explained.

“These customers also expressed strong demand for an automatic transmission because it makes the vehicle so much easier to handle for conditions such as towing trailers through sandy deserts.”

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Once the business case was approved, local engineers began testing, modifying and evaluating prototypes of this car back in 2019.

“And don't assume we've simply taken the GD out of the HiLux,” Hanley added. “We've made a raft of changes to ensure this powertrain lives up to the high expectations of 70 Series drivers, including modifications to the gearing and cooling.

“In short, the in-line four does everything the V8 does but it's easier to drive and it's more accessible.”

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Order books for the four-cylinder 70 Series will open in October this year. The new vehicle will be sold alongside the 1VD V8 manual gearbox model, but an order pause remains in place for the V8 while Toyota works through a backlog of customer orders.

More details on the four-cylinder 70 Series will be available at the vehicle's launch in November 2023.