If you want a new V8 Land Cruiser 70 series, well, unfortunately you better be willing to spend quite a lot more for the facelifted version.

In fact, for 2024, the Land Cruiser 76 Series in GLX guise with the V8 we’re reviewing today, you can expect to pay $10,800 more than 2023. That’s a lot for an engine that has been standard in the Land Cruiser 70 series since 2007.

According to many reports, like this one from reputable source cars.co.za, you can be sure the V8 is not long for sale in Australia.

We’ve already reviewed the new 4-cylinder LC70, the 79 series single-cab ute, which combined with its 6-speed automatic transmission and HiLux engine, is actually really good.

But for many people, the purity of the V8 is so important that it’s worth spending over $6,000 more than the 4-cylinder. 

So, should you buy the LC76 Series (aka the wagon) with the V8? Let’s talk about that!

How much does the Land Cruiser 76 Series cost?

Prices are up across the board, with 4-cylinder variants costing about $6,000 more than the pre-facelift V8, and V8 prices are up about $10,000.

For the LC76, you can only get the V8 in the top-spec GXL, which as tested, will set you back $83,900 before on-road costs.

2.8-litre Four-Cylinder Turbo-Diesel

• 76 Series Wagon WorkMate: $75,600
• 76 Series Wagon GXL: $79,800
• 78 Series Troop Carrier WorkMate: $79,200
• 78 Series Troop Carrier GXL: $82,500
• 79 Series Single-Cab Chassis WorkMate: $76,800
• 79 Series Single-Cab Chassis GX: $78,800
• 79 Series Single-Cab Chassis GXL: $80,900
• 79 Series Double-Cab Chassis WorkMate: $79,300
• 79 Series Double-Cab Chassis GXL: $83,500

4.5-litre V8 Turbo-Diesel

• 76 Series Wagon GXL: $83,900
• 78 Series Troop Carrier WorkMate: $83,300
• 78 Series Troop Carrier GXL: $86,600
• 79 Series Single-Cab Chassis WorkMate: $80,900
• 79 Series Single-Cab Chassis GX: $82,900
• 79 Series Single-Cab Chassis GXL: $85,000
• 79 Series Double-Cab Chassis WorkMate: $83,400
• 79 Series Double-Cab Chassis GXL: $87,600

Note: All prices are before on-road costs.

Of course, options are available too.

• Front and Rear Differential Locks: $1,500 (included in GXL)
• Premium Paint: $675

What’s the interior and tech like of the Land Cruiser 76 Series?

Interestingly, the V8 variants of the facelifted LC70 series miss out on the revised centre console with an integrated phone holder.

Instead, you get a completely open area, which is great for those who have small bags or other items they want to keep next to them.

New for the facelift is a new instrument cluster, which is 40-series inspired and looks really cool. Better yet, it finally has a small digital display, which can show a bunch of information like fuel economy that you’ve never been able to see before.

The new 6.7” display (up from a staggering 6.1”) now has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which are both wired and work faultlessly.

Being the GXL, you also score 2 USB-C ports, which feels strangely modern for what is otherwise a rather ancient space.

The steering wheel has also been ripped out, and replaced with a HiLux unit - it’s plastic, but way more ergonomic than before with buttons to control most things within the cabin.

I am convinced that Toyota has intentionally engineered the speakers to sound terrible. Because despite getting 4-speakers in the Wagon LC76, the dual-cone speakers are just as horrendous as the lesser dual-speaker in the LC79 single cab.

The seats, too, are upgraded in the GXL to be cloth, which some refer to as ‘mouse fur’ thanks to their soft material. Unfortunately, the soft material is not enough to make them comfortable, and over longer journeys they certainly are not.

Thankfully (although perhaps worryingly) there are only two-airbags in all Land Cruiser 70 series other than the LC79 single-cab, so you can just rip out the seats and replace them without worrying about airbag compliance.

And really, that’s the whole premise of the interior. It’s totally average for the price of the Land Cruiser, however it has two big things going for it: modularity and repairability. 

The aftermarket support for the Land Cruiser 70 series, which first released in the early 80’s, is massive and you can literally upgrade anything and everything to your hearts content.

Not to mention, everything can be changed or repaired with a basic toolkit and with a lot of ease, hence their popularity in rural and remote Australia.

What about the back seats of the Land Cruiser 76 Series?

Despite being 4.86 meters long, the back seats are not spacious at all. 

In fact, at 5’11”, I have almost no leg-room behind my driving position, with toe-room compromised by some sharp seat railing. Head-room is good, however.

There are also no air-vents in the second row, though the aircon up-front is so powerful I don’t think anyone will be complaining in back. 

The seats are just ‘fine’, though I would personally rip them out and replace them in a heartbeat.

Of course, all of that costs money - and you will regularly see Land Cruiser 70 series builds worth over $200,000 once the tinkering is over.

How much can fit in the boot of the Land Cruiser 76 Series?

Toyota don’t give a figure for how much can fit in the boot, but boot space is HUGE.

The 40:60 barn doors at the rear open to reveal a butt-load of room. You can also drop the rear seats relatively easily which reveals even more space. 

Frankly, the LC76 wagon is by far my favourite Land Cruiser 70 series. It combines the shortest wheelbase (available in Australia, we don’t get the ‘shorty’ LC71) with fantastic practicality.

Sadly, the LC76 was historically the poorest-selling Land Cruiser 70 series as it had the lowest Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) and therefore, payload. 

However, as of a 2023 update to side-step incoming side-impact safety regulations (kinda not cool?), Toyota increased the GVM of every variant to 3.51 tonnes. 

This is great, as the payload has increased by 450kg for the LC76 to 1245kg, up from 795kg.

What’s under the bonnet of the Land Cruiser 76 Series?

As I said earlier, we have previously reviewed the all-new 4-cylinder LC79, so if you want to learn more about the HiLux powered Land Cruiser 70 series you can read that review here.

In contrast, the LC76 series we’re driving today is powered by the famous 1VD-FTV 4.5-litre V8 turbo-diesel engine. 

This engine produces 151kW of power and 430Nm of torque and is paired with a five-speed manual transmission. 

Really poor power and torque outputs for such a large engine, I know - but it’s on purpose. It’s a totally under-stressed engine for improved reliability, and the torque is available from between 1200-3200RPM which is almost the entire rev band.

The V8 variant has a slightly higher fuel consumption on paper versus the 4-cylinder, with a claimed figure of 10.7 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.

Over my week of testing, I managed an average of 12.8L/100km over a mix of urban and highway driving.

How does the Land Cruiser 76 Series drive?

First up, the V8 is slow. So, so sloooooow.

I timed the 0-100km/h of the LC76 at a whopping 13.91 seconds. Yeah, that is quite slow in all seriousness.

But let’s be honest here, no one is buying the LC76 for its driving dynamics.

In fact, the steering wheel will turn over 4 rotations before it locks either way, which means it takes a long time for the front end to respond to your steering movements.

It’s also really heavy, so urban driving is quite the chore.

However, the LC76 - specifically the V8 - has to be one of the easiest manuals to drive. The 5-speed manual has very long throws, and because the 4.5L V8 has a huge torque band, it’s almost impossible to stall.

The ratios are all off, however, with 1st being far to short and requiring upshift well before 20km/h, and 5th is also too short, meaning the engine is borderline yelling at highway speeds.

Sitting at 100km/h or any faster is loud… very loud. Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) was not a consideration when designing the LC70 in the 80s, although sound deading kits can of course be fitted.

Suspension too is very stiff, and you can thank the GVM upgrade for that. The Wagon LC76 uses a leaf sprung rear suspension, which is great for payloads but when unladen means the rear end is very fidgety.

Combined with the narrower rear track by almost 10cm versus the front, and you can just feel the rear end trailing around the front despite being RWD when on a sealed road.

So yeah, not a great drive on its own.

However, its the aftermarket that makes it better. And the V8, thanks to the huge overhead Toyota has left for it, can be relatively easily re-flashed to gain a significant amount of extra power and torque.

Suspension can be relatively easily replaced for softer or even higher GVM requirements.

And that is the beauty of the LC76. In stock form, it’s rather terrible. But when you modify it, which is far easier than most SUVs today, it can become an absolute beast.

How does the Land Cruiser 76 Series perform off-road?

The LC76 is immensely capable off-road, though you will want to definitely spend the approximately $7,000 to increase the rear track width to match the front.

In GXL guise, the LC76 comes as standard with a locking rear differential at the rear and at the front. 

Although you will want to lift it for hardcore offroading, it has a good 235mm of ground clearance stock.

The approach angle is quite good at 33°, and the departure angle is also good at 23°.

Even better though is that all Land Cruiser 70 series get live front and rear axles. These are generally regarded as the most basic yet durable and reliable suspension type while also allowing for some of the best wheel travel.

Is the Land Cruiser 76 Series Safe?

It’s hard to argue the LC76 is very safe.

All ANCAP ratings for the 70 series Land Cruiser have expired, with the LC79 scoring 5-Stars in 2016.

However, only the LC79 single-cab has been updated with a better crash structure, and more than just 2 airbags found on all other variants of the 70 series.

That means there are two airbags at the front, for the driver and passenger, and none for the second row. So it’s hard to recommend this as a family car if safety is important to you.

The whole range has been upgraded to now have Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and also Lane Departure Warning (LDW) which is good to see. Traffic Sign Recognition is another recent addition, displaying speed signs in the digital dashboard display.

For the facelift, the LC76 has also added a reverse camera.

What are the specs and features of the Land Cruiser 76 Series?

WorkMate Standard Features:

• 16-inch silver alloy wheels
• LED headlights with automatic high-beam
• 4.2-inch digital instrument display
• 6.7-inch infotainment screen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Autonomous emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection)
• Lane departure alert
• Speed sign recognition
• Reversing camera (wagon/76 Series only)
• Black mesh grille
• Heritage-inspired bonnet and turn signals
• Steel side steps
• Two-speaker sound system
• Centre storage box (automatic variants only)
• Vinyl upholstery
• Available colors: French Vanilla, Sandy Taupe (no cost); Midnight Blue, Graphite Metallic, Silver Pearl, Merlot Red, Eclipse Black ($675, wagon/76 Series only)

GX Adds (over WorkMate):

• 16-inch dark grey alloy wheels
• Wheel arch flares

Note: GX not available for LC76 Series Wagon

GXL Adds (over GX):

• LED front fog lights
• Chrome and painted front bumper (79 Series ute only)
• Moulded black front and rear bumpers (Wagon and Troop Carrier only)
• Aluminium side steps
• Chrome roof drip rails
• Four-speaker sound system (excluding single-cab ute)
• Two USB-C ports (in place of 12V socket)
• Driver and front passenger map pockets
• Cloth upholstery
• Front and rear differential locks (available for an additional $1500)

Additional Options:

• The Toyota LandCruiser 79 GX single-cab chassis can be equipped with front and rear differential locks for an additional $1500.
• Dark alloy wheels and overfenders available on the 79 Series GX single-cab chassis.

How much can the Land Cruiser 76 Series tow?

All Land Cruiser 70 Series - no matter whether 4-cylinder or V8 - have a 3.5 tonne braked towing capacity, and 750kg unbraked.

How much does the LC70 cost to run?

The 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series comes with Toyota's standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. This coverage can be extended to seven years for the powertrain, provided all scheduled services are maintained.

For maintenance, the LandCruiser 70 Series requires servicing every 10,000km or every six months, whichever occurs first. This relatively frequent service schedule might be seen as a drawback for a vehicle that is often heavily relied upon.

In terms of cost, the first ten services for both the 4-cylinder and V8 models of the LandCruiser 70 Series are priced at $525 each.

What’s CarSauce’s take on the Land Cruiser 76 Series?

For most people, there are much better options than the Land Cruiser 70 series. A Toyota Fortuner would be better in most respects, for example.

However, what the Land Cruiser 76 Series has going for it is proven reliability, incredibly cool looks, ease of maintenance, and also a totally unmatched availability of modification.

If you are looking for the peak of “I love analogue and want to do my own stuff wiith my car”, then the Land Cruiser 76 will be a fantastic choice for you.

However, if you are looking for anything else, then I would recommend checking out something else like a Toyota Fortuner or Ford Everest.