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Cruiser diesel clean up axes V8 - is 2.8 also due further work?
Richard Bosselman
June 11, 2025
Toyota NZ decision to end supply 70-Series eight cylinder announced as neighbour says replacement four-pot is also about to be revised.
EMISSION issues that have elbowed the stonking but smutty V8 turbodiesel from the oldest kind of Landcruiser seem to be forcing a clean up for the barely superior four-cylinder replacement.
Toyota New Zealand has confirmed the end of the road for the 4.5-litre eight cylinder Land Cruiser 70, curtailing a lineage that dates back to 2007, when it came out as a single turbo choice, later ramping up to twin turbos.
From now on the 40-year-old vehicle will contain to four variants – all featuring a 2.8—litre four-cylinder diesel engine that arrived last year and is shared in the Hilux and Prado, purely with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The change follows the closure of V8 and manual order books in April and comes as Toyota leans further into reducing fleet emissions under the Clean Car Standard.
From now on, all Land Cruiser 70 models here will only feature the 2.8-litre 1GD. But questions now arise as to whether that application is also due for treatment to lower its CO2 count.
The four cylinder replacement fails to replicate the eight’s hearty roar, but looks better on paper in respect to economy and outputs.
Maximum power of 150kW and top torque of 500Nm means it produces just 1kW less than the V8, but offers 70Nm more.
Yet in respect to emissions, it’s hardly any superior.
The V8 (below) is rated by Toyota New Zealand at 316 grams per kilometre but by Toyota Australia at 281g/km.
The 2.8 cites 279g/km, when measured to the 3P WLTP scale, which is still at the high end for a diesel.
That situation seems set to be addressed, with regional supply potentially set to be affected as result.
Toyota Australia, which takes 70-Series in much the same form as here and which also recently curtailed the V8, has announced a pause in availability of the 2.8-litre editions there.
This is so Toyota Japan re-engineers the type to clean up its outputs all the more, so as to meet new regulations specific to the Australia.
The brand is not sharing details of what it plans, but logically the most probable outcome is that it will be tailored to accept AdBlue, as it now does for the Prado and already does for Japan market 70 Series.
The cited CO2 for the Prado here is 230g/km, but in the application the engine also has a 48 volt hybrid component, also configured for Hilux but not presently for 70 Series. Prado also has an eight speed transmission.
However, whatever occurs, the vehicle will not come back to our neighbour until 2026.
The full statement from a Toyota Australia spokesperson on the production pause is as follows: "There will be a production pause for LandCruiser 70 to allow for changes relating to the new ADR 80/04 (emissions) that comes into effect from 1 November 2025.”
ADR 80/40 is effectively the Australia market name for the Euro 6 'Stage C' standard already in other overseas markets.
With the Japan-spec 70 Series, AdBlue solution is sprayed over exhaust gases to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx) that leave the tailpipe.
Toyota New Zealand has set strong emissions reduction target and has conceded the Landcruiser V8’s output was problematic.
Chief strategic officer Andrew Davis said in a media share this week that the shift to the 2.8-litre 1GD engine offered better performance, efficiency and compliance with emissions targets.
It seems illogical, nonetheless, that any changes to the 2.8 for Australia would not be picked up by NZ. Yet so far TNZ has said nothing about this.
However, the 2.8-litre in current form is barely any better, with 279g/km, when measured to the 3P WLTP scale.
Toyota NZ says it will continue to offer the 70 in three ute formats - LT single and double cab and LX double cab - plus as a LX wagon.
All have a ladder-frame chassis, low-range gearing, and heavy-duty engineering.
Davis suggests there has been positive customer feedback to the 2.8-litre.
