Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series

Toyota 70 Series
Facelifted Toyota Land Cruiser SUV
Overview
Manufacturer	Toyota City, Japan (formerly ARACO; current production by Toyota Auto Body at the Yoshiwara Plant)
Also called	"Machito" (Venezuela)
Production	1984–present
Assembly	Toyota City, Japan Ovar, Portugal Cumana, Venezuela Klang, Malaysia
Body and chassis
Class	Compact SUV
Body style	Troop carrier, 2-door and 4-door pick-up, 3-door and 4-door SUV
Related	Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Chronology
Predecessor	Land Cruiser 40 Series

The 70 Series is a family of Toyota Land Cruiser models produced from 1984 until the present day. It replaced the 25-year-old 40 Series as the off-road workhorse of the Land Cruiser heritage, while the 60 Series (and later the 80, 90, 100, 120, 150 and 200 Series) developed into more comfortable passenger off-road vehicles. Despite major changes in styling and numerous technological updates, the 70 Series was designed to retain the off-road capabilities and durability for which the 40 Series had become known. The 70 Series was marketed throughout the world, except for countries like India, USA, Mexico, Brazil and Korea. As a celebration of the Land Cruiser 70's 30th anniversary, Toyota temporarily marketed the Land Cruiser 70 series in the Japanese market for 12 months.

Originally, model numbers 70 through 74 referred to the two-door short- and medium-wheelbase versions. These were the successors of the 40 Series, such as the FJ40. Model numbers 75 through 77 referred to the long-wheelbase version, which was available in pick-up and two-door troop carrier models and, in a few markets, a four-door wagon. These were the successors of the less-well known long-wheelbase 40 Series, such as the FJ45. In 1999, Toyota introduced several updates and changed the model designations, where the long-wheelbase models became the 78 (troop carrier) and 79 (pick-up). In 2007, the 76 (four-door wagon) was added, while the new dual-cab models also share the 79 model designation (essentially the same chassis). Short-wheelbase models are only in production today for a few select markets.

As with all Land Cruisers, the letters at the beginning of the model number designate the engine of the vehicle. Common engines in the 70 series include the 3F petrol engine (e.g., the FJ70), the 22R petrol engine (e.g. the RJ70 Bundera), the 2H diesel engine (e.g., the HJ75), the 1FZ petrol engine (e.g., the FZJ79), the 1HZ diesel engine (e.g., the HZJ78), the 1HD diesel engine (e.g. the HDJ78), and most recently, the 1VD diesel engine (e.g., the VDJ76). For a while (1987 until at least 1990) the BJ73 hardtop was available in the Italian and Spanish market with a VM five-cylinder HR588 2.5-litre turbodiesel—the "B" prefix was applied because the first four-cylinder diesel 70 series came with the 3B.

1984–1999: The 70 / 75 series Toyota Land Cruiser took over from the 40 / 45 series of workhorse four-wheel drives in 1984. The styling maintained a family resemblance to the 40 / 45 series but became more angular. The 70 / 71 series was the short-wheelbase (SWB), the 73 / 74 was the medium-wheelbase (MWB) and the 75 / 77 was the long-wheelbase (LWB). The latter came as cab-chassis/utility with a "panelled" tray (pick-up), and "troop carrier" hard-top (HT). Toyota also manufactured lighter duty versions that shared the 70 Series designation from 1985 to 1996, and were marketed in various parts of the world as the Bundera, the Prado, or the Land Cruiser II. Of these, the Prado name stuck, and each modification took it further from its 70 Series roots. Starting in 1997 the Prado was known as the 90 Series, and had become a light-duty passenger 4x4 with no relation to the 70 Series.