The Toyota Land Cruiser 78 is back by popular demand

26 February 2021 - 17:27 By Motoring Reporter
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The Land Cruiser 78 has returned to the SA market.
The Land Cruiser 78 has returned to the SA market.
Image: Supplied

The long-serving Land Cruiser 70 series is the stuff of legend — a tough, utilitarian workhorse much-loved by off-roading enthusiasts, game rangers, farmers and legions of food-hording survivalists. It comes in three derivatives each with its own unique model number: a bakkie (79), station wagon (76) and wagon (78). In August 2015, the latter was dropped from the local 70 series range due to dwindling sales. However, Toyota SA on Friday announced that due to popular demand, the Land Cruiser 78 is making a comeback.

What's changed? Well not much, really. As before, the 78 lumbers along on heavy-duty steel wheels shod with 7.50R16C tyres and your colour choices are limited to either Ivory White or Sand Beige. We'd take the latter. Under the bonnet lives a bulletproof 1HZ 4.2-litre in-line-six diesel engine that rattles out 96kW at 3,800rpm and 285Nm at 2,200rpm. It's paired to a five-speed manual transmission and low-range-equipped transfer case.

There is one difference, however, and that's at the back where the rear brakes have been swapped from discs to drums for “improved durability in high-dirt operating conditions”.

So how much does it cost, then? Sold strictly to order the 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser 78 Wagon retails for R716,000. This includes a three-year/100,000km warranty.


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