2017 Toyota LandCruiser 79 GXL Dual Cab Review | An Essential Addition To Any Outback-Aussie Toolkit
Truck, ute, pick-up, fourbie… It doesn’t matter what you call it, there’s little chance of confusion when it comes to the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series' role in life - this big unit is built to work.
Sure, when ordered in the top-line GXL spec you see here, the big 'Cruiser picks up wheel arch flares, wide alloys and plenty of chrome, so it’s a little bit more show pony, but underneath it all the barely-changed-in-thirty-years LandCruiser is as hardworking as ever.
And as a dual cab it’s truly unique. You can buy a Nissan Patrol, or spend almost double on a Mercedes-Benz G-Class Professional and both are as action-ready as the LandCruiser, but neither comes as a dual-cab, nor can they be ‘specced-up’ like the flasher GXL Cruiser.
Vehicle Style: 4x4 dual cab ute
Price: $68,990 (plus on-roads)
Engine/trans: 151kW/430Nm 4.5-litre 8cyl turbo diesel | 5sp manual
Fuel Economy Claimed: 10.7 l/100km | Tested: 13.8 l/100km
OVERVIEW
The LandCruiser is an off-road icon. Now that Land Rover has wrapped up production of the Defender, and Mercedes-Benz is preparing to pull the pin on the G-Class (well, passenger versions, at least) the LandCruiser 70 Series - which has steadily evolved since debuting in 1984 - is the next in line to wear the production-record title of the longest-running vehicle.
Of course the current Cruiser bears little resemblance to the original as there is a wider cabin, styling changes, turbo diesel V8 power, and more have been added. Heck, the GXL even comes with cloth trim and carpet flooring, something unheard of when the all-vinyl original debuted.