Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series future may be secured by military
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The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series may have been rejected by the Australian Army recently, but it appears the model could soon be adopted by Japan’s defence forces.
The future of the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series could be secured for many decades to come, if unconfirmed reports out of Japan prove true.
Now in its 40th year of production, the LandCruiser 70 Series continues to be one of Toyota’s most popular models, thanks to its off-road capability, reliability, and versatility as a heavy-duty workhorse.
Japanese website Karuma News has quoted unnamed sources from within the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) claiming the LandCruiser 70 Series is expected to be chosen as a replacement for the Mitsubishi ½-ton ‘light truck’ within the military’s fleet.
Also known as the Type 73 Kogata, the Mitsubishi is a Jeep-style four-wheel-drive based on the Pajero, with the current-generation model having been in production since 1996.
While the Mitsubishi is still manufactured for the JSDF, the Pajero on which it’s based is no longer in production, with increasing supply times for parts for maintenance and repairs becoming a concern for officials.
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An almost complete lack of modern safety features is another concern, following a fatal crash between a JSDF vehicle and a tourist bus in June 2024, putting pressure on officials to improve safety standards, given these vehicles travel on public roads.
The civilian version of the LandCruiser 70 Series on sale in Australia offers autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-departure alert, speed sign recognition, and automatic high-beams – though it’s unlikely the full suite of safety features would be available in vehicles supplied to the defence force.
According to the JSDF insider, the recent update of the 70 Series was welcomed by officials – particularly the addition of the new six-speed automatic transmission, which sits behind a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine making 150kW and 500Nm.
Even with half the cylinders of the outgoing 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 engine, the 2.8-litre engine produces 1kW less, and 70Nm more.
“Firstly, the safety equipment is excellent. It already has sufficient safety features, including collision mitigation braking,” the anonymous source told the Japanese publication.
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“Secondly, it has [gained] an automatic transmission. The 70 Series used at one European border patrols at walking speed, so the automatic transmission seems to be very useful.
“I think this will be appreciated in Japan as well,” said the source.
Despite the LandCruiser 70 Series being rejected by the Australian Defence Force in recent months, the vehicle remains popular with several militaries around the work, including the French Army.
According to the report, the JSDF is now taking into consideration the overseas track record of equipment manufactured domestically.
While nothing has been confirmed by JSDF officials at this point, the insider believes “the LandCruiser 70 [Series] will be the next,” after the Pajero-based model is retired from service in the coming years – potentially securing the model’s future for decades to come.
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