They say it will be sold alongside the V8, first time there’s been an engine option since 2006. Traditionally the 70 series has always shared engines with the current Landcruiser wagon so I’d be surprised if the V6 wasn’t offered - maybe replacing the V8 at some point. The article speculates if they’ll change the wheel track - I’d speculate this is highly unlikely as the 70 series has had the 1HZ in other markets up until now and they haven’t offered a separate wheel track that I know of - why change it with the 4 when they still run the V8 along side.
You’ve missed the biggest buyer and its most worthy - the farmer. According to a senior Toyota Australia employee at Agquip a couple of years ago Australian agricultural sales alone of 70 series were enough to keep the model going and were the highest world wide. Here, locally and everywhere I’ve been in rural Australia the 40 then 70 series have ruled the commercial (not hobby) agricultural ute sector, and it still does.
Legal payload doesn’t really come into it - when you want to carry 1.6T (two export grade large square bales, 500L of diesel along with a full plant service body, tray full of sand to name a few) and tow 4T (more hay) off road in extreme conditions of steep very rough country in very high temperatures and high dust day in day out, or cover high Km of extremely rough terrain for 20 years straight - there is no vehicle to match it. Except maybe a patrol, but they haven’t been available for several years now. Maybe a G-Wagon could, but they’re only in auto (no farmer would want one of them) and half as much again in cost plus no practical parts/dealer support.
IFS is a joke in relentless rough conditions. Where I just moved from a cattle property all the private IFS vehicles were destroyed by the road in - everything from Hiluxes, Rangers, Colorados etc. needed constant and frankly extreme maintenance (could hardly keen ball joints and bushes up to the hilux, rangers bodies cracking off above the wheel arches, snapping suspension struts, snapping chassis, rodeo engine falling out etc.). By comparison the lathe fleet of 70 series I managed need very little repairs despite much harsher use. Not to mention how much better the off road ability - My take away was IFS is not suitable for the extreme conditions.
Just because cashed up off roaders and bitumen warriors also buy them doesn’t take away from the fact that some people genuinely need the chassis and suspension that only a 70 series can offer.
Peak figures aren’t everything. As Toyota admitted - the 1VD has the flattest torque curve, and that’s in its very detuned state. Much nicer to tow with than a peaky overstressed 4 banger (if you’re spending this much on a vehicle, you want to get 500k-1m Km out of it). And then a bit of a tune and it’ll blow all the fragile 4 cylinders away