Toyota expands Land Cruiser 70 Series range with new manual gearbox option

Toyota on Monday announced Land Cruiser 70 Series models powered by its 2.8l four-cylinder turbodiesel engine (2.8 GD-6) can now be ordered with a five-speed manual transmission.

Complementing the existing six-speed automatic gearbox, this option is available on station wagon and single cab variants of the popular off-roader. In manual guise the 2.8 GD-6 produces slightly less torque (450Nm vs the 500Nm you get with the automatic) but kicks out the same amount of power at 150kW.

Toyota says the heavy-duty transmission has been designed to leverage the turbodiesel motor's torque characteristics, with shorter first, second and third gears to aid start-off performance. A longer fifth gear improves fuel economy and reduces engine noise at highway speeds.

Likewise, a new flywheel compatible with a 12" 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.

Manual variants further add a dust seal to the rear end plate to prevent ingress of foreign matter to the release bearing, something that can lead to premature wear and squeaking noises.

The manual variants share the same towing capacity and gross combination mass as their automatic siblings. They also retain similar equipment levels, apart from the removal of the front console box to accommodate the gear lever and the omission of downhill assist. 

Pricing for the new manual Land Cruiser 70 Series starts at R887,000 for the single cab and R969,800 for the station wagon. All Land Cruiser 70 Series models come with a three-year/100,000km warranty, with an optional 100,000km service plan available.