THE ALL-new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado family SUV has made its world premiere, bringing with it significant mechanical upgrades, enhanced performance, and rugged styling changes ahead of its arrival in South Africa next year.
Since its arrival in the 1990s, the Prado has been one of South Africa’s most revered large SUVs thanks to its blend of capability, amenity and passenger-oriented comfort, and the all-new model continues that brief with go-anywhere performance and a design that symbolises the essence of the Land Cruiser.
The new-generation Prado adopts a new design direction that fuses traditional and contemporary styling cues, employing horizontal lines inspired by Land Cruisers of yesteryear to deliver on the theme of functional beauty.
The front end is based around a rectangular grille and tri-beam headlights, with a low-set front cowl to improve forward visibility. Muscular wheel arches and strong horizontal lines provide a sense of strength, with a low beltline that further improves visibility for occupants.
At the rear, the Prado features a vertically oriented tailgate and simple tail-light signature to complement the front end, with silver lower bumpers at both the front and rear of the vehicle.
Measuring 4,920mm long, 1,988mm wide and 1,860mm tall, the all-new Prado is 95mm longer and wider, and 10mm taller than before. Its 2,850mm wheelbase is 60mm longer than before, and now matches the length of the Land Cruiser 300.
The Prado now shares its underpinnings with the Land Cruiser 300, riding on the rugged and sophisticated TNGA-F ladder-frame chassis which is 50% more rigid than the current-generation Prado, helping to increase overall vehicle rigidity by 30%.
The modern and stiff platform allows for improved suspension performance with greater wheel articulation for off-roading and excellent handling and ride comfort on-road.
Wheel articulation is improved further with Toyota’s brand-new stabilizer-bar control system which allows the front stabiliser bar to be disconnected for excellent wheel articulation, while enhanced functionality for the multi-terrain select and multi-terrain monitor systems help the Prado go even further off-road.
The adoption of electric power steering provides a crisper steering feel and enhanced low-speed manoeuvrability on-road, maximises control when off-roading, and allows compatibility with active safety systems such as lane trace assist.
The new Prado will employ a variety of turbocharged petrol and diesel-based powertrains, catering to the unique needs of various global markets and their operating conditions.
Inside, the Prado employs a clean, stylish and functional interior design with dual digital screens for the instrument cluster and multimedia system, and an intuitive layout for the switches that group basic functions together.
Further details on the all-new Land Cruiser Prado including local specification will be made available closer to the vehicle’s South African introduction in Q2 of 2024.
Image (The all-new Land Cruiser Prado will hit SA shores in 2024).
