With a starting price of $85,315, the Toyota Land Cruiser is one of the most expensive new Toyotas in the United States money can buy today. The Heritage Edition is even more expensive at $87,645. Despite that, it’s still one of the most capable off-roaders on the market and, while the sales are not that great with just 3,235 units delivered last year, the good news is the model will stick around in America for at least a few more years.

That’s the situation with the Land Cruiser in the United States but it’s vastly different in, say, South Africa. There, you can now order the new Land Cruiser 79 4.5D V8 D/C Namib, which we’ll simply call the Land Cruiser Namib. It’s a special edition model, based on the retro-styled 70 Series with a starting price of 893,600 South African Rand, which equals to approximately $61,000 at the current exchange rates.

Gallery: Toyota Land Cruiser Namib

The double-cab truck is, obviously, inspired by the Namib Desert, one of the oldest and largest deserts in the world. The exterior enhancements include a new mesh design for the front grille with Toyota lettering, a steel front bumper with integrated heavy-duty nudge bar and headlight protectors, and Namib badging.

Inside, the biggest upgrade over the standard Land Cruiser 70 you’ll find is the glove box with additional cooling duct to keep your drinks cool through the car’s AC system. There’s also a new roof console with rear-facing LED spotlights, additional storage compartments, and microphone cord hook.

On the off-road side, the Namib special edition comes with upgraded suspension, manufactured by “a respected local off-road suspension expert for Toyota. The truck rides on larger 265/75/R16 Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx tires with white lettering. Power comes from a 4.5-liter diesel engine, delivering 202 horsepower (151 kilowatts) and 317 pound-feet (430 Newton-meters) of torque.

“The Namib Desert presents some of the most challenging terrain, and surviving in these extreme conditions requires the right preparation and equipment. I am proud to announce that we have created this special Land Cruiser model to offer customers a ready-to-go vehicle prepared and equipped to tackle the most daunting challenges,” Calvyn Hamman, Senior Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at the company, comments.

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The Land Cruiser 70-series is an automotive symbol of go-anywhere-ability, off-road engineering excellence and infallible competency. The Land Cruiser name carries high esteem even in the most demanding circles, acquitting itself peerlessly under the harshest conditions around the globe.

With this revered reputation fused into its mechanical DNA, Toyota South Africa is proud to announce the introduction of a bespoke double-cab derivative, enhanced with application-specific accessories. Bearing the Namib nomenclature, this Land Cruiser 79 takes inspiration from the Namib Desert in Southern Africa – one of the oldest and largest deserts in the world.

“The Namib Desert presents some of the most challenging terrain, and surviving in these extreme conditions requires the right preparation and equipment. I am proud to announce that we have created this special Land Cruiser model to offer customers a ready-to-go vehicle prepared and equipped to tackle the most daunting challenges,” says Calvyn Hamman: Senior Vice-President of Sales and Marketing.

Enhanced Exterior
Starting with the exterior, the Land Cruiser Namib projects a robust appearance. The front grille has been changed to a simple mesh design with prominent Toyota lettering (akin to the Hilux GR Sport), leveraging the design of Land Cruiser heritage models. Unique stylised Namib badges can be found on the flanks alongside the Land Cruiser brand mark, as well as the tailgate.

A steel front bumper with integrated heavy-duty nudge bar and headlight protectors, add utility and ruggedness. Large, high-intensity LED spotlights ensure optimum visibility under all conditions. Moving towards the business end, a tubular rear step with integrated towbar make loading and towing a breeze, whilst protective loadbin skins round off the package.

The ‘Namib’ is available in Ivory White and Sand Beige.

Interior Additions
To combat desert temperatures, the glovebox features an added cooling duct, allowing items to be kept chilled via the vehicle’s air-conditioning system. The Land Cruiser Namib package has been designed with the customer and unique-usage situations in mind, therefore the interior has been fitted with bespoke grey canvas seat covers, embroidered with the sand-dune-inspired Namib logo. The edges also feature anti-scuff panels to prevent degrading of the material during ingress.

An application-specific roof console has been added, enhancing versatility by means of rear-facing LED lights, lined storage binnacle, driver and passenger LED lights, two-way radio compartment and microphone cord hook.

Off-road improvements
The Land Cruiser Namib has been fitted with an upgraded off-road suspension (manufactured by a respected local off-road suspension expert for Toyota), whilst maintaining the existing payload and towing capacity. The tyres have been upgraded to larger 265/75/R16 Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx versions, complete with white lettering, affixed to durable 16” alloy wheels.

Engine Performance
The ‘Namib’ makes use of the revered 1VD-FTV 4.5-litre turbodiesel engine, churning out 151 kW and 430 Nm from a low 1200 rpm (up to 3200 rpm). The Fuel Consumption index is pegged at 11.3 l/100km with CO2 emissions registering 300 g/km.

Standard Specification
The Namib edition retains all of the standard Land Cruiser 79 D-Cab V8 specification, which include a touchscreen audio system with built-in Navigation, Bluetooth, front power socket, power windows, tilt and telescopic steering column, remote central locking and anti-theft system. The safety systems include driver and passenger airbags alongside an anti-lock braking system (ABS).

Warranty and Service Plan
A 3-year/100 000 km warranty is provided whilst customers can purchase optional service plans according to their needs.

Model Line-up and Pricing
Land Cruiser 79 4.5D V8 D/C Namib – R 893 600

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