Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series 2,8 diesel now available with manual gearbox

The Land Cruiser LC70 range received some significant upgrades earlier in 2024, chief among them being the option of Toyota’s 2,8-litre turbodiesel engine across the bakkie and SUV range.

However until now the Hilux-sourced motor, which produces 150kW and 450Nm, has been paired exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Now Toyota SA has introduced a five-speed manual option for the 2,8 GD engine, although for the time being it’s only available in two of the body styles.

Buyers can now opt for a 2,8 GD manual Single Cab bakkie, at R887 000, or a Station Wagon priced at R969 900, and both models cost exactly R30 100 less than the equivalent automatic versions.

While the Single Cab has a number of manual variants currently available, including the 4,0 V6 petrol and 4,2 diesel, the Station Wagon has not been available in manual guise since the recent upgrade, where the 4,5 V8 version fell away.

The manual gearbox has unique gear ratios and strengthened components to suit the intended usage of the LC70. It was designed to make the most of the 2,8 GD’s torque output and compared with the previous V8 manual, its first three gear ratios are shorter to aid acceleration while the fifth ratio is longer to enable quiet and economical cruising.

Toyota SA vice president of marketing Glenn Crompton said: “When we phased out the LC 76 4,5 V8 Diesel Manual Transmission Station Wagon a few months ago, we anticipated that some customers would miss having a manual gearbox in the lineup.

“With that in mind, we wanted to make sure we could provide a variety of powertrain options for all our customers, and this new manual transmission is a perfect fit for their needs.”

Interior equipment levels remain identical to the equivalent automatic LC70 models, except for the deletion of the front console box, necessitated by the packaging of the manual gear shifter, and downhill assist control.

All variants are sold with a three-year/100 000km warranty and optional 100 000km service plan.

Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series pricing

SINGLE CAB

LC79 4,0 Petrol S/C 5MT — R765 500

LC79 4,2 Diesel S/C 5MT — R829 000

LC79 4,5 Diesel V8 S/C 5MT — R956 200

LC79 2,8 GD-6 Diesel S/C 5MT — R887 000

LC79 2,8 GD-6 Diesel S/C 6AT — R917 100

DOUBLE CAB

LC79 4,0 Petrol D/C 5MT — R864 600

LC79 4,2 Diesel D/C 5MT — R920 800

LC79 4,5 Diesel V8 D/C 5MT — R1 039 200