Toyota has expanded Land Cruiser 70 Series with the addition of new 5-speed manual gearbox option. The 2.8 GD engine, introduced to the LC70 line-up earlier this year is now available in both automatic and manual transmissions on Station Wagon and Single Cab body types.
Mated to the Land Cruiser 70 Series’ 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, the new manual powertrain joins the existing six-speed automatic and is priced at R887 000 for the Single Cab, and R969 800 for the Station Wagon.
Toyota added the new four-cylinder automatic powertrain to the Land Cruiser70 Series lineup in early 2024 as part of a wide-ranging upgrade for the popular four-wheel drive workhorse and has discontinued the previously available LC 76 (Station Wagon) 4.5 V8 Diesel manual transmission.
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) believes the addition of the new manual option for the Land Cruiser 70 Series would broaden the appeal of the iconic four-wheel drive and help satisfy the demands of those who prefer a manual gearbox.
customers, and this new manual transmission is a perfect fit for their needs,” says Glenn Crompton, Vice President of Marketing & Technical Services at TSAM.
The new 2.8-litre manual powertrain generates a maximum power of 150kW from 3200-3400rpm and 450Nm of torque over a wide peak band of 2400-3000rpm. The manual transmission offers unique gear ratios and strengthened components to suit the usage of the Land Cruiser 70 Series.
Compared with the previous V8 manual Land Cruiser 70 Series, the new manual gearbox has been designed to make the most of the four-cylinder engine’s higher torque output with shorter first, second and third gears to aid start-off performance, and a longer fifth gear to help improve fuel economy and reduce engine noise when cruising at highway speeds.
A new flywheel compatible with a 12-inch clutch has also been adopted for the new powertrain, providing excellent clutch slip resistance, while a triple synchronisation mechanism has been added for the first gear to enhance shifting operability.
Along with the range of durability-focused engine upgrades applied to four-cylinder grades in early 2024, manual variants further add a dust seal to the rear end plate to prevent ingress of foreign matter to the release bearing.
“The strength, capability, and towing and off-road performance of the four-cylinder automatic powertrain has already been very well received by customers and the new manual option will further broaden that appeal,” adds Crompton.
Apart from the deletion of the front console box due to the packaging of the manual gear shifter, and downhill assist control, all variants equipped with the manual transmission offer the same level of equipment and share the same GCM (gross combination mass) and towing capacity as their automatic counterparts.
All Land Cruiser 70 Series models are offered with a 3-year/100 000km warranty and an optional 100 000km service plan.
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