Photos: Toyota South Africa Motors.
Toyota South Africa no longer sells a new V8 Land Cruiser 79 double cab. The V8 ended in 2025, when a new one cost R1,108,100.
Every V8 double cab for sale today is second-hand, even the ones with delivery kays. Nearly new ones ask about R2.17 million (14 listings). A used 2022 or 2023 V8 asks about R1.2 million (69 listings). New from Toyota, the 2.8 GD-6 double cab costs R1,088,800 for the manual and R1,119,500 for the auto.
Nobody buys a 79 double cab because it is comfortable. They buy it for the farm road, the Botswana sand and the caravan behind it. Below: what happened to the V8, new prices, used prices by year, the double cab premium, V8 or 2.8, and what moves the price of a used one.
What happened to the V8?
Toyota South Africa confirmed in August 2025 that the V8 was discontinued. Its March 2026 update for the 70 Series said V8 production in the bakkies ended in 2025. Today the 79 Series double cab comes with three engines, and none of them is a V8.
So what is a “2026 V8” on a listing? It is a bakkie built in 2025 or earlier and first registered in 2026. The year on the ad is the registration year, not the build year. Check the build date on the VIN plate or on the registration papers.
The V8 was the 4.5 litre turbodiesel, badged “LX V8” on the tailgate. It made 151 kW and 430 Nm. It only ever came with a 5-speed manual.
A quick clear-up for odd searches. The “VX V8” was the 200 Series station wagon, not the bakkie. There has never been a V12 79.
What a new 79 double cab costs in October 2026
| Double cab | Gearbox | Price from Toyota SA |
|---|---|---|
| 4.0 V6 petrol | 5-speed manual | R959,300 |
| 4.2 diesel | 5-speed manual | R1,021,600 |
| 2.8 GD-6 | 5-speed manual | R1,088,800 |
| 2.8 GD-6 | 6-speed auto | R1,119,500 |
Toyota South Africa’s website on 19 October 2026. Prices change, so confirm with a dealer.
GD-6 is Toyota’s current diesel engine family. It is the same 2.8 you get in a Hilux or a Fortuner. The manual 2.8 double cab is new: it arrived in March 2026.
The new 2.8 auto costs R11,400 more than the last new V8 double cab did. So the price of a new 79 stayed about where it was. The engine changed.
What comes with it:
- Warranty: 3 years or 100,000 km.
- Service plan: 9 services or 90,000 km, now standard on every 79. The 4.2 gets 18 services over 90,000 km, because it needs one every 5,000 km.
Before March 2026 the service plan was an optional extra. Keep that in mind when you look at used ones.
Dealer prices for new stock don’t always match Toyota’s. Some advertise new 2.8 double cabs below Toyota’s list price. Others ask well above it, usually with extras fitted. Ask for Toyota’s list price and an itemised quote before you sign.
For single cab and station wagon prices, see our general Land Cruiser 79 price guide.
What a used V8 double cab costs
Nearly new V8 double cabs ask about R2.17 million (14 listings, under 5,000 km). That is roughly double the R1.11 million Toyota last charged for one.
That premium is dealers pricing a car you can’t order any more. It is not a Toyota price. Here is the full picture:
| Model years | Typical asking | Listings | Typical km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 to 2016 | R759,900 | 31 | 189,700 |
| 2017 to 2019 | R889,900 | 36 | 160,250 |
| 2020 to 2021 | R1,074,900 | 28 | 83,950 |
| 2022 to 2023 | R1,199,950 | 69 | 68,500 |
| 2024 to 2025 | R1,699,900 | 25 | 18,761 |
| 2025 and 2026, under 5,000 km | R2,174,925 | 14 | 1,547 |
Asking prices on live listings, 19 October 2026. Rows above the last have 5,000 km or more.
Across all of them, a used V8 double cab asks about R1,079,950 (190 listings). The typical one has done about 81,650 km.
Look at the jump after 2023. A 2024 or 2025 asks about R500,000 more than a 2022 or 2023. Some of that is lower kays. Most of it is scarcity: a used 2024 or 2025 asks more than the R1.11 million a new one cost. Nobody knows how long that lasts, so don’t buy one as an investment.
Two checks on any V8. First, ask for proof of a service plan, because none came standard. Second, ask the dealer to put the warranty start date in writing.
You will also see special editions: the 70th Anniversary (2021 and 2022) and the Namib (2019 and 2020). There are too few for sale to give a typical price.
Live numbers by year are on our 79 Series market page.
How much more is a double cab than a single cab?
| Double cab | Single cab | Gap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New 2.8 GD-6 auto (Toyota SA) | R1,119,500 | R1,017,700 | R101,800 |
| New 4.0 petrol (Toyota SA) | R959,300 | R849,300 | R110,000 |
| Used 2023 V8 | R1,199,950 (41 listings) | R949,900 (24 listings) | about R250,000 |
| Used 2025 2.8 GD-6 | R1,279,995 (61 listings) | R884,900 (36 listings) | about R395,000 |
New prices from Toyota South Africa’s website, used prices from live listings, both on 19 October 2026.
New, Toyota charges about R102,000 to R110,000 more for the double cab. Used, the gap is two to four times bigger.
The 2023 V8 is the fairest test. Both groups are big, and the kays are close (about 66,000 km against 59,000 km). There the double cab asks about R250,000 more.
Why? Most buyers outside farming want the back seat. The single cab is the work bakkie. The double cab is the family Cruiser and the overlander.
The back seat costs you load bin length. The rear bench is also upright and tight on legroom. It seats five, with a lap belt in the middle of the back seat.
Weighing a 79 bakkie against the station wagon? Read 79 or 76: which to buy.
V8 or 2.8 GD-6: which one should you buy?
This is the braai argument. Here are the facts.
| 4.5 V8 (used only) | 2.8 GD-6 (new or used) | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 151 kW | 150 kW |
| Torque | 430 Nm | 500 Nm auto, 450 Nm manual |
| Gearbox | 5-speed manual only | 6-speed auto or 5-speed manual |
| Toyota’s claimed fuel use | 11.9 l/100 km | 9.7 l/100 km |
| Braked towing | 3,500 kg | 3,500 kg |
| Service plan | Optional when new, so ask | Standard on new ones since March 2026 |
| Price | Used 2022 to 2023 about R1,199,950 (69 listings) | New R1,088,800 to R1,119,500 |
Towing is a draw. Both are rated to pull 3,500 kg braked. The 4.2 and 4.0 are rated for only 1,500 kg. So a big caravan or a boat to the coast means a 2.8 or a V8.
The 2.8 pulls harder low down. It is also the only way to get an auto. One SA road test found the 2.8 auto quicker than the V8 overall.
Fuel favours the 2.8. Toyota claims 9.7 litres per 100 km against the V8’s 11.9. Over 20,000 km a year, that is about 440 litres less diesel. Real use, loaded and towing, will be higher for both.
Sound is the V8’s real argument. You can’t buy that new any more.
People call the 2.8 “the Hilux engine”. It’s true, and it’s also the selling point. Parts and know-how are in every town.
The 4.2 still has its fans. It is a simple diesel with no turbo, which bush mechanics can fix and which copes with poor fuel. It suits slow farm work and long trips far north. It makes 96 kW and needs a service every 5,000 km.
One more thing on the 2.8 auto. Used ones ask about R1,249,900 (105 listings, typical 21,500 km). That is more than a new one. Plain ones ask about R1,149,900 (54 bakkies), and kitted ones about R1,347,400 (32 bakkies). If you don’t want someone else’s kit, new can be the cheaper buy.
What pushes a used double cab’s price up or down
Kilometres matter most. Here are used V8 double cabs, each bakkie counted once:
| Mileage | Typical asking | Bakkies |
|---|---|---|
| Under 50,000 km | R1,649,950 | 49 |
| 50,000 to 100,000 km | R1,189,948 | 52 |
| 100,000 to 150,000 km | R899,925 | 20 |
| 150,000 to 200,000 km | R789,900 | 19 |
| Over 200,000 km | R749,950 | 22 |
Live listings, 19 October 2026.
Newer bakkies have fewer kays, so this table mixes age and mileage. Take only 2021 to 2023 V8s. Under 50,000 km asks about R330,000 more than 50,000 to 100,000 km (23 and 37 bakkies). Past about 150,000 km, the price flattens out.
Kit helps on newer bakkies only. On a 2021 to 2023 V8, a kitted one asks about R120,000 more than a plain one (43 and 31 bakkies). A bar, suspension, tyres and a winch all count as kit. On a used 2.8 auto, the gap is about R197,500 (32 and 54 bakkies). On V8s from before 2020, kit adds next to nothing. A canopy on its own doesn’t move the price much.
So don’t expect to get all your kit money back when you sell. Fit the kit you want for your own trips, not for resale.
Insurance. List every accessory and its value on your policy. Some insurers insist on two trackers for high-risk Toyotas, so ask yours before you sign. Our theft and hijacking guide covers the layers that help.
Asking is not selling. Every used figure here is an asking price. Dealers buying to resell offer well under the ask. A typical double cab listing comes down within about a month, but a listing coming down doesn’t prove a sale.
Selling yours? Check what it is worth on our free 79 valuation tool.
The short answer
You can’t buy a new V8 79 double cab. Toyota South Africa’s double cab now costs R1,088,800 to R1,119,500 with the 2.8 GD-6. A used 2013 to 2016 V8 double cab asks about R760,000 (31 listings). A 2024 or 2025 asks about R1.7 million (25 listings). Check the live 79 market page before you make an offer.
Thanks to Toyota South Africa Motors for the photos in this guide.
About the data: used prices are typical asking prices on live listings, tracked daily by Land Cruiser SA. We pulled them on 19 October 2026, and the number of listings sits beside each one. New prices are from Toyota South Africa’s website on 19 October 2026.
