Toyota bids farewell to country favourite
Landcruiser owners (from left) Ziggy Hey, Andrew Domaille and Jason Gee say they will be keeping their V8 Landcrusiers, following Toyota’s decision to halt production on the popular rural ute. Image: The Riverine Grazier/Krista Schade.
By Krista Schade
Toyota is bidding farewell to one of the iconic symbols of the wide brown outback – the V8 Landcruiser.
Often the butt of well-meaning ribbing thanks to the over accessorising of the popular ute, the announcement by Toyota will end an era of motoring across rural Australia.
Final production of the V8 Wagon, Troop Carrier, and WorkMate and GX pick-ups will take place in September with vehicles expected to be in customer hands late this year or early next year.
The distinctive sounding V8 1VD-FTV 4.5-litre turbo-diesel engine powered the LandCruiser 70 Series since 2007 and Toyota says more than 170,000 V8s have been sold in that time.
It has now been replaced by a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, with Toyota adding a new five-speed manual gearbox.
Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the decision to bring down the curtain on the V8 had been inevitable due to changing regulations and community expectations.
“Bidding farewell to the V8 marks the end of one chapter and the start of another for the go-anywhere 70 Series – a vehicle that’s renowned for its ruggedness, reliability and simply getting the job done,” Mr Hanley said.
“We continue to work closely with our production team to receive the maximum possible V8 allocation so that we can fulfil as many local customer V8 orders as possible,” he said.
Mr Hanley said he would encourage any enthusiasts who might lament the V8 decision to join the growing number of drivers who have found the four-cylinder alternative is even more capable.
"Both here and in Japan, Toyota was determined to return the loyalty of our customers by devoting significant resources into ensuring the 70 Series remains a vital part of our line-up for years to come.
“The only alternative was to walk away from this model – and that was not an option.”
