$79k for a car with wind-up windows? Toyota explains why the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series cost so much

The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series is so popular that it has a waiting list so big the Japanese giant has stopped taking orders for the V8-powered off-roader.

Despite that, customers are still lining up to spend more than $75,000 on one of these rugged machines - which come in ute, Wagon and Troop Carrier forms.

Which explains in large part why this nearly 40-year-old vehicle costs more than even the most expensive, $73,990 Toyota HiLux GR Sport. But is that the only reason the 70 Series costs so much money?

The cheapest model in the range is the $75,600 76 Series Wagon WorkMate, which comes with wind-up windows and vinyl-trimmed seats, while missing out on even a small, 1980s-era digital clock. 

So how can Toyota justify charging so much money for a car that comes with so little? Well, it’s as simple as the equation of supply versus demand. The 70 Series has become a cultural phenomenon in Australia and is a staple in regional communities, while also having a strong following in urban centres amongst off-road adventurers.

Since the demise of the original Land Rover Defender, and the new model’s move into a more premium market, there’s just nothing else available that can match the capability of the 70 Series for the same money.

The LC70 is so popular that it has a waiting list so big Toyota has stopped taking orders for the V8-powered off-roader.

The arrival of the all-new Ineos Grenadier does provide a very close competitor in terms of capability, but Toyota has a four-decade head start on proving its durability in the unique demands of Australia. Plus, the cheapest Grenadier is the $109,000 two-seat Utility.

As Toyota Australia sales and marketing chief, Sean Hanley, explained to CarsGuide, while some of the cost can be explained by the rolling updates over the year, there’s simply no other direct competition to the 70 Series and that has an impact on its price.

“There’s something special about this vehicle,” Hanley said. “You ask yourself, how many vehicles in the world or in Australia now, can do what this car does? That’s the real question.

The LC70 is available in ute, Wagon and Troop Carrier forms.

“Yeah, it has had its technical upgrades, its spec and safety, all that’s happened over the journey, but it’s essentially the same style of vehicle that it was 39 years ago… But there is a cost to do all these things to these cars and the global market is not massive. I mean it really only has a couple of markets around the world, but it’s big in Australia. The answer to that question is, how many cars can do what this car does, with the confidence this car brings?”

To distil that down, what Hanley is saying is 70 Series customers are buying the range for its capabilities off-road rather than the list of standard equipment.

Or, to put it another way, Hanley said: “We’re selling an off-road, lifestyle, performance car that holds a lot of status.”

So even with the arrival of the new four-cylinder turbo-diesel option, which is available to order now (unlike the V8), with huge demand and a lengthy waiting list, don’t expect Toyota to offer discounted prices on the 70 Series anytime soon.