New double cab joins Land Cruiser range

Whether you're carrying people or cargo, the new Land Cruiser 70 double cab will do it for you.

The new double cab joins the rest of the range of single cab, station wagon and people carrying wagon workhorses all of which now also for the first time come equipped with ABS brakes.

The new double cab is designed to be both a people carrier and load hauler and can carry five adults while still offering a one-ton payload. Engine choices are a 96kW/285Nm 4.2-litre diesel and a 4.0-litre petrol engine which delivers 170kW and 360Nm.

Standard features

All models in the upgraded range come standard with a differential lock, five-speed manual gearbox with a hardy low-range transfer box. Driver and front passenger airbags are now also standard kit.

You have a choice of engines from which to choose.

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Suspension is the proven combination of live axles front and rear with coil springs at the front and leaf springs bringing up the rear. However, a spring rate that favours ride quality over absolute load carrying capacity is used for both the coil and leaf springs on the station wagon and double cab as opposed to the heavier duty spring rate of the Single Cab Pick-up.

A clear distinction

The station Wagon boasts a ground clearance of 230mm, while the Land Cruiser wagon and pick-up variants are 235mm above the ground.

And the flagship has...

All models have power steering, tilt and telescopic steering adjustment, air conditioning, electric windows, electric mirrors and a 12V accessory connector as well as remote central locking.

The loadbed gives you the best of both worlds - ample space to lug around just about anything you wish to cart from one place to another.

The flag-ship 76 Station Wagon is the most extravagantly equipped and comes with carpeted flooring, on-board SatNav, a stereo system incorporating a CD player and an auxiliary USB port. Aesthetically the most refined of the 70 'quads', the 76 is adorned with combination colour-coded and chromed accoutrements (bumpers, grille, over fenders), aluminium side steps and 6-inch alloys. In the 2013 model, a 130-litre fuel tank replaces the 90-litre unit and a spare wheel cover is added to the standard package.

Long range

Workmanlike and functional.

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New kids on the block - the 79 Double Cabs - are cosmetically differentiated from their Single Cab stable mates by the addition of two rear doors, as well as the deletion of over fenders and 16-inch alloys (available as an option). Move indoors, however, and they gain extra kit in the form of on-board SatNav, a stereo system and USB port. The Double Cabs are equipped with a 130-litre fuel tank.