FOUR-POT COG-SWAPPER

YOU CAN NOW HAVE YOUR FOUR-CYLINDER LANDCRUISER 70 SERIES WITH A MANUAL GEARBOX. WE JUMPED AT THE CHANCE TO TEST THIS 76 WAGON WITH THE MANUAL COG-SWAPPER

- WORDS MATT RAUDONIKIS

The big news in 2024 for fans of Toyota’s legendary 70 Series range of workhorses was that the fanboy favourite 1VD-FTV V8 diesel engine was being axed and in its place we now have the 1GD-FTV 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine. And making things worse, the manual gearbox was being replaced with an automatic!

For many fans the sky was falling, as the V8 was a great engine and, to them, there was no way that an engine with half the cylinders could take its place, despite the fact that the smaller mill produces more torque in showroom-stock trim.

Initially available with just a six-speed automatic transmission, our drives of the four-cylinder 70s proved them to be better performers than the manual V8 but, as always, there’s more to driving a V8 than just the output.

Jump forward to 2025 and the last remaining LC70 V8s are rolling out of Toyota showrooms … but the stick-shifter has made a comeback with a new five-speed manual gearbox now offered behind the 2.8 engine alongside the automatic option.

Personally, I like manual gearboxes, especially in a Toyota workhorse. The manual has always been the go-to transmission for the 70s over the years of the model’s evolution and as good as the auto is for most driving situations, I still like doing things the old way; I enjoy being able to climb in the cab, depress the clutch, put the key in the ignition barrel and turn it to fire the engine up, select a gear, release the clutch and off I go. The 70 Series is one of the few new vehicles remaining that offer such simple pleasures.