Toyota launches new five-speed manual Land Cruisers

Early in 2024 Toyota SA launched the new Land Cruiser 70 Series with a new look and first introduction of the 2.8l four-cylinder motor paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Now the Japanese brand has added a pair of new derivatives, with five-speed manual transmissions to go with the downsized engine in single cab and station wagon body types. Double-cab derivatives fitted with the new 2.8 GD motor are available only in automatic guise.

In the manual, the 2.8 GD-6 produces less torque (450Nm versus the 500Nm in the automatic) but makes the same amount of power at 150kW.

Toyota SA believes the addition of the new manual option for the Land Cruiser 70 Series will broaden the appeal of the four-wheel drive and help satisfy the demands of those who prefer a manual gearbox.

“When we phased out the LC 76 4.5l V8 diesel manual transmission station wagon, we anticipated that some customers would miss having a manual gearbox in the line-up. With that in mind, we wanted to make sure we could provide a variety of power train options for all our customers,” says Glenn Crompton, vice-president of marketing & technical services at Toyota SA.

Toyota says the new manual gearbox has been designed to make the most of the four-cylinder engine’s higher torque output, with shorter first, second and third gears to aid start-off performance. The longer fifth gear helps to improve fuel economy and reduce engine noise when cruising at highway speeds.

The new manual derivatives are equipped with the same level of equipment and share the same gross combination mass and towing capacity as the automatics.

All Land Cruiser 70 Series models are offered with a three-year/100,000km warranty and an optional 100,000km service plan including in-car Wi-Fi capability with a complementary 25Gb and connect services.

Pricing for the new manual Land Cruiser 70 Series starts at R887,000 for the single cab and R969,800 for the station wagon. All Land Cruiser 70 Series models come with a three-year/100,000km warranty, with an optional 100,000km service plan available.