A Celebration of Toyota Land Cruiser
In September 2019, Toyota Motor Corporation announced that its global sales of the Toyota Land Cruiser segment had reached 10 million units (achieved on 31 August 2019 according to their records).
Since the first Land Cruiser made its debut in 1951, it has been produced in multiple variants, known for reliability, durability, and unquestionable off-road performance.
Land Cruisers cope well in harsh conditions, serving as transport vessels for supplies in the mines of Australia, and assisting in the harvesting of food supplies on the steep slopes of Costa Rica.
The Range
The Land Cruiser range has three distinct family groups; the 70 series, Land Cruiser Prado, and Land Cruiser 200. While each model has a different package, usage, and target market, they all share an ‘unbreakable’ DNA.
LC 70 – Offered as a Single and Double-Cab variant with a choice of a 4.0-litre petrol, 4.2-litre turbo-diesel or a 4.5 V8 turbo-diesel engine.
FJ Cruiser – A tribute to the FJ40-series model, with a distinctive style, and 4.0-litre V6 power.
Prado – A medium-sized SUV, offering a 7-seat capacity along with comfort, luxury, and a choice of a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel or a 4.0-litre V6 petrol engine. Offered in three grades; TX, VX, and VX-L.
200-series – A flagship model of the Land Cruiser range, offering space, luxury, and high-tech technologies able to go anywhere. It is available in both Utility-focused GX and opulent VX-R grades.
‘Local is lekker’
Over the years, the Land Cruiser has been an extremely popular choice with motorists. Suiting the various terrains, outdoor lifestyle and remote settings our country offers. The Land Cruiser 200 is the leader of the segment in the full-size SUV category, with a 33% share and an average monthly volume of 93 units sold.
The Land Cruiser Prado remains a firm favorite in the large SUV segment with a total of 87 units taken to new homes every month, positioned in second with a 15% share. A total of 3 684 Land Cruisers (70-series, Prado, and 200 series) have been sold locally since September 2019.
The Namib Special Edition
This model is based on the LC 79 Double-Cab V8 model and presents a package for serious off-road motorists. It has an array of utility-enhancing accessories including a steel front bumper with a heavy-duty nudge bar (bulbar) and headlight protectors, tubular rear step with a tow-bar, protective load-bin skins, distinctive front grille, heavy-duty interior seat covers, and a roof console.
The ride and handling have been upgraded with an Old Man Emu suspension, which refers to 4X4 off-roading components.
A Historic Achievement
In celebration of the Namib special edition and hitting the 10-million milestone, a South African media contingent embarked on an adventure to the northern point of the Namib Desert – to a town named Namibe in Southern Angola.
The groups made its way across the Atlantic Ocean to an abandoned ‘ghost town’ island of Baia dos Tigres. Previously a peninsula off the Angolan coast, it was separated by a storm in 1962 – rendering Tigres an island. After the fresh-water feed project was abandoned, Dos Tigres became a ghost town.
Using a special constructed raft, an Ivory White Land Cruiser 79 Namib was transported onto the island making it the first vehicle on the island since 1974 – further establishing the Land Cruiser as the Master of Africa.
Model line-up and Pricing
79 PICK UP (S/C)
Land Cruiser 79 P/U 4.0 – R 582 000
Land Cruiser 79 P/U 4.2D – R 618 900
Land Cruiser 79 4.5 V8 D SC – R 707 800
79 PICK UP (D/C)
Land Cruiser 79 4.0 D/C – R 660 800
Land Cruiser 79 4.2D D/C – R 692 300
Land Cruiser 79 4.5 V8 D D/C – R 776 300
79 NAMIB
Land Cruiser 79 4.5D V8 D/C Namib – R 893 600
76 SW
Land Cruiser 76 4.5 Diesel V8 – R 786 900
Land Cruiser Prado
Land Cruiser Prado 3.0D TX 5AT – R 875 500
Land Cruiser Prado 4.0 VX 6AT – R 990 200
Land Cruiser Prado 3.0D VX 5AT – R 992 100
Land Cruiser Prado 4.0 VX-L 6AT – R 1 029 700
Land Cruiser Prado 3.0D VX-L 5AT – R 1 031 500
Land Cruiser 200
Land Cruiser 200 4.5D V8 GX-R 6AT – R 1 064 900
Land Cruiser 200 4.5D V8 VX-R Black 6AT – R 1 463 500
Land Cruiser 200 4.5D V8 VX-R Beige 6AT – R 1 463 500
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Images: Motorpress