Toyota isn't going to retire the Land Cruiser 70, even though it's almost 40 years old

Toyota Land Cruiser 70, a 40-year-old go-anywhere SUV, is going to stick around, according to Sean Hanley, the company's VP of Sales and Marketing in Australia. Despite being introduced in 1984, the Land Cruiser 70 is still in high demand and the company has temporarily stopped taking new orders in Australia due to a backlog of orders.

There are even talks of giving the classic off-roader a hybrid powertrain, which is rare in the automotive industry. The current Land Cruiser 70 is powered by a 4.5-liter turbo diesel V8 engine, but rumors of a four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain are circulating. Hanley suggested that customers would be open to a smaller powertrain, similar to what happened with the Land Cruiser 300 and its lack of V8 engines.

As the company is striving to go greener, Hanley believes it's a distinct possibility that the Land Cruiser 70 will eventually go hybrid. The automaker is focused on creating vehicles that are "fit for purpose in the market" while still reducing its carbon footprint.

The 2023 model year of the Land Cruiser 70 is currently available in both pickup and SUV body styles, complete with a snorkel mounted on the A-pillar. The engine produces 202 horsepower (151 kilowatts) and 317 pound-feet (430 Newton-meters) of torque, transmitted to the road through a five-speed manual transmission. The vehicle comes with several modern features, including a 6.1-inch touchscreen, dual airbags, air conditioning, and stability and traction control.

Source: Car Sales