The Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Celebrates 40 Years With A Special Concept

At the Japan Mobility Show in November last year, Toyota reintroduced the Land Cruiser 70. For the uninitiated, this is the same SUV that debuted 40 years ago but now with with modern safety systems such as Hill Start Assist Control and Downhill Assist Control, and a more powerful and efficient engine. To celebrate the model’s 40th anniversary and its market launch in Japan, the automaker now introduces a special one-off off-roader based on the Land Cruiser 70.

Details are limited, but Toyota plans to display this matte black SUV at the Tokyo Auto Salon next week. It's based on the resurrected 2024 model and comes with a few visual tweaks and some small hardware upgrades coming from Toyota Auto Body, a subsidiary of the company focused on developing enhancements for Toyota products. It will be interesting to see whether the upgrades seen on this concept will later become available for customers.

The matte black exterior finish is one of the visual highlights, but that’s not all. There’s also an additional snorkel, a front bumper with a modified design and a winch support, chrome side mirror caps, a roof rack, and others. Those black wheels with a chrome barrel enhance the off-road look, while the clear lenses for the turn signals remind us it is 2024 now. The production model’s fender-mounted mirror is still present.

There’s no mention of mechanical upgrades under the hood, though. This means power most likely comes from the standard 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine with 201 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The power reaches all four wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox. The one-off model will sit alongside a restored Land Cruiser J40 during the Tokyo Auto Salon, which will open its doors to the public on January 13.