End of the line: Toyota to end production of its V8 engine

Toyota has slammed shut its order books for V8-powered 70 Series models, effectively ending the run of its 1VD-FTV 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 in Australia.

Orders have been paused for almost two years for the V8-powered 70 Series, and Toyota has today declared they will not be reopened. The Japanese marque instead will aim to deliver existing orders.

The final production of the V8 Wagon, TroopCarrier, and WorkMate and GX pick-ups is set to take place in September this year. These customers can expect to receive their vehicles late in 2024 or early in 2025. However, Toyota says production will continue to the end of 2025 to meet the high demand of 79 Series GXL single- and double-cab utes.

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Toyota Australia’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, said the decision to boot the V8 was inevitable due to changing regulations and community expectations.

“Bidding farewell to the V8 marks the end of one chapter and the start of another for the go-anywhere 70 Series,” Hanley said. “We continue to work closely with our production team to receive the maximum possible V8 allocation so that we can fulfil as many local customer V8 orders as possible.”

With the V8 now off the table, buyers are left with the option of Toyota’s 1GD four-cylinder turbo-diesel powertrain. The four’s 150kW and peak torque of 450Nm is in fact punchier than the V8’s 151kW and 430Nm. Plus, most four-cylinder variants can now be mated to an all-new five-speed manual gearbox that has been derived from the V8 manual and adapted for the 2.8L four.

This new manual transmission – dubbed H153F – has been calibrated with unique gear ratios to suit the engine’s high torque output. This includes shorter first, second and third ratios, and a longer fifth gear. A flywheel compatible with a 12-inch clutch has also been newly adopted.

Introduced in 2007, the V8 has been largely popular with buyers, accounting for almost half of all 70 Series – even more impressive when you consider the 70 Series was first introduced in 1985.

Customer orders for four-cylinder variants are not affected by the V8 decision.