Following the reveal of the facelifted Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series earlier this year, the model has now gone on sale in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where it is also being offered in short-wheelbase form with three doors.
Also known as the ‘shorty’ or 71 Series, the new compact Cruiser will be sold alongside the five-door 76 Series in the UAE for AED169,900 ($NZ75,245), but sadly for us, it isn’t likely the model will be offered in New Zealand. However, we can still appreciate it from afar.
With that being said, the 71 Series measures 4235mm long, 1870mm wide, and 1910mm tall. It also has a wheelbase of 2310mm which is 640mm shorter than the 76 Series’.
Under the bonnet sits a petrol-powered 4.0-litre naturally aspirated V6 that makes 170kW and 360Nm of torque; an engine that won’t be offered in our market.
The only gearbox available is a six-speed automatic that will feed power to all four wheels through a transfer case.
In terms of standard appointments, the 71 Series features 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, and a 9.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
Even though it has been shortened, there’s still enough space inside for five passengers, those of whom will be treated to synthetic leather seats and electric windows.
A palette of four colours is available to choose from, consisting of white, beige, grey metallic, and silver metallic.
Toyota New Zealand will offer the Land Cruiser 70 Series in a variety of different body styles, including a single and double cab fitted with a ‘1VD’ 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 in LT and LX specification respectively. All other variants that once came with the eight-cylinder engine will be discontinued.
Kiwi customers can also get their hands on the LT single and double cab, LX double cab, and LX wagon, each of which features a ‘1GD’ 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder. That means there’s no petrol V6 for us then.
The locally offered Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series is due to arrive in New Zealand within the next month, or by the end of 2023, with the order book expected to open soon.
