Pricing scoop! Here’s how much you’ll pay for the refreshed Toyota Land Cruiser 79 bakkie range – which gains the familiar 2.8 GD-6 engine and an automatic gearbox – in South Africa…
The revised Toyota Land Cruiser 79 range will soon touch down in South Africa. The big news, of course, is the addition of the familiar 2.8 GD-6 powertrain, which is set to be available in conjunction with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Now, shortly ahead of the official market launch, Cars.co.za has uncovered pricing for the pair of new 4-cylinder derivatives.
As we exclusively reported late last year, the broader J70-generation line-up will swell from 8 variants to 12, thanks to the addition of the aforementioned 2.8-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine. The 70 Series portfolio will again comprise the Land Cruiser 76 station wagon, the Land Cruiser 78 wagon (or “Troopy”) and the Land Cruiser 79 single- and double-cab bakkie derivatives.
We’ll focus on the Land Cruiser 79 for now. The 2.8-litre oil-burning motor – which is familiar from the Hilux, Fortuner and Land Cruiser Prado line-ups – here generates peak outputs of 150 kW (from 3 000 to 3 400 r/min) and 500 Nm (from 1 600 to 2 800 r/min). Drive is delivered to all 4 wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission, with the latter being a first for the 70 Series range. Top speed comes in at 150 kph.
- ALSO READ: Toyota Land Cruiser 76 (2024) Price & Specs
So, back to the all-important question of pricing. According to our information, Toyota SA Motors will offer 2 versions of the 79-badged bakkie featuring the 2.8 GD-6 powertrain, separated only by body style: there’s the 2.8 GD-6 6AT single cab (which will kick off at R917 100) and the 2.8 GD-6 6AT double cab (which will cost R1 009 000).
The 4.0-litre V6 petrol unit (170 kW/360 Nm), the 4.2-litre straight-6 diesel motor (96 kW/285 Nm) and the 4.5-litre V8 turbodiesel mill (151 kW/430 Nm) will soldier on as part of the local line-up – for the time being, at least, with the 8-cylinder motor tipped to retire by August 2025. As a reminder, each of these older motors comes standard with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
So, that makes the new 2.8 GD-6 derivatives a little less expensive than the manual-equipped V8s. For instance, based on the current pricing, the Land Cruiser 79 2.8 GD-6 6AT single cab undercuts the V8 in the same body style by R39 100, while the Land Cruiser 79 2.8 GD-6 6AT double cab is R30 200 less expensive than its 8-cylinder equivalent.
Of course, the new 2.8-litre models do gain additional safety equipment, including vehicle stability control, active traction control, brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution, hill-assist control and downhill assist control. However, the V8 models boast aluminium (rather than black) side steps and floor carpets (rather than PVC, as used in all other variants, including the flagship 2.8 GD-6 derivatives).
The refreshed Land Cruiser 79’s exterior colour paint options include 6 hues: Ivory White, Satin Silver Metallic, Graphite Grey Metallic, Ruby Metallic, Sand Beige and Dark Blue.
The J70-generation Land Cruiser has been in production for nearly 40 years. It’s currently the oldest “new” vehicle available in South Africa, having been sold here in its current form (more or less) for more than 2 decades. Despite its advanced age, the Land Cruiser 79 placed 8th on the list of Mzansi’s best-selling bakkies in 2023, with 3 975 units sold (a year-on-year increase of 13%).
How much does the updated Toyota Land Cruiser 79 cost in SA?
Land Cruiser 79 4.0 Single Cab 5MT – R765 500
Land Cruiser 79 4.2 Single Cab 5MT – R829 000
Land Cruiser 79 2.8 GD-6 Single Cab 6AT – R917 100
Land Cruiser 79 4.5 V8 Single Cab 5MT – R956 200
Land Cruiser 79 4.0 Double Cab 5MT – R864 600
Land Cruiser 79 4.2 Double Cab 5MT – R920 800
Land Cruiser 79 2.8 GD-6 Double Cab 6AT – R1 009 000
Land Cruiser 79 4.5 V8 Double Cab 5MT – R1 039 200
As before, we expect a service plan to be optional for all Land Cruiser 70 Series derivatives, with intervals of 5 000 km in the case of the 4.2-litre model and 10 000 km for all other engines. Toyota’s 3-year/100 000 km warranty will again be standard.
Related content
New Toyota Land Cruiser Prado: full SA line-up uncovered!
New widebody Toyota Hilux GR Sport confirmed for SA
The final figures! SA’s best- and worst-selling bakkies of 2023
