Back to the future: the all-new Land Cruiser Prado range arrives in Australia in mid-2024 with a new off-road focussed variant, 48-volt technology across the range, and retro-inspired styling.
The five-variant Prado range blends the rugged capability worthy of the Land Cruiser name with major improvements to driveability, technology and design.
Toyota says the Prado has become a favourite for Australians in need of an SUV able to transport the whole family during the week and go off the beaten path on the weekend, all with signature Toyota reliability.
The same is seen to apply to the New Zealand market.
“The new-generation Prado will continue the legacy forged by its predecessors when it arrives here later this year, with the addition of 48-volt technology and the new Altitude grade making it more appealing than ever.”
The all-new Land Cruiser Prado range starts with the five-seat GX grade with 18-inch dark grey alloy wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights, retractable body-coloured exterior mirrors, darkened front and rear bumpers, side sills and wheelarches, and a manual tailgate with glass hatch.
Inside, the GX features fabric seats with six-way manual driver adjustment, a seven-inch colour MID display, automatic dual-zone climate control, all-weather rubber floor mats and a 220V power outlet in the rear.
Multimedia on all variants comes in the form of a 12.3-inch multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto embedded satellite navigation with cloud function.
The Toyota Safety Sense active safety technologies are available across the Prado range, including pre-collision safety system, adaptive cruise control, lane trace assist, blind spot monitor and rear parking support brake, as well as other features including front and rear parking sensors, a panoramic view monitor, nine airbags, trailer sway control and a pre-wiring harness for the tow hitch.
Standard driving assistance technologies on all variants include vehicle stability control with active traction control, downhill assist control and crawl control with five selectable speed settings.
The GXL adds roof rails, rear privacy glass, silver front and rear bumper trim and a powered tailgate. Inside, the GXL adds a third row of seats for seven-seat capacity, with synthetic leather-accented upholstery and 50:50 split fold seat back for the third row. Front seats offer heating and ventilation with an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, genuine leather-accented steering wheel and shift knob and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
Improved convenience features include rear climate control, a wireless charging pad and two additional USB-C charging ports for a total of six throughout the cabin.
Next up is the VX, with 20-inch premium dark metallic alloy wheels, body-coloured front and rear bumpers, over-fender moulding and rear guard trim, and bi-LED headlamps with dynamic auto-levelling and adaptive high-beam system.
The VX has leather-accented seats with driver seat power lumbar support and memory, four-way front passenger power adjustment, power-adjustable steering wheel, carpet floor mats, a refrigerated console box and tyre pressure monitor.
A full 12.3-inch colour display has been added along with a premium 14-speaker JBL audio system, while additional driving assistance for both on and off-road includes Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) and five-mode Drive Mode Select, Multi-Terrain Select, and in a first for Toyota, the Multi-Terrain Monitor system which provides a comprehensive view of the vehicle’s underfloor and surrounds when off-roading.
The new Altitude variant delivers enhanced off-road performance and rugged styling making full use of the Land Cruiser Prado’s fundamental off-road capability, introducing features designed to tackle the toughest terrain.
The Altitude has 18-inch matt grey alloy wheels with Toyo Open Country all-terrain tyres, a rear locking differential, and a new stabiliser disconnect mechanism (replacing AVS) which provides 10 percent extra wheel articulation to maximise traction on uneven surfaces.
With a tough exterior look to match its performance, the Altitude variant features black door handles and tailgate garnish, black over-fender moulding, and a moon roof.
Available exclusively in five-seat configuration, the Altitude builds on the specification of the VX and adds a digital rearview mirror, heated steering wheel and head-up display.
Crowning the Land Cruiser Prado range is the flagship seven-seat Kakadu, which features a panoramic moon roof, illuminated side steps, heated and ventilated rear seats, heated steering wheel, adjustable driver’s seat thigh support, digital rearview mirror, head-up display and a rear torque-sensing limited-slip differential to enhance handling when cornering.
All Prado variants are powered by the same 150kW, 500Nm 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder powertrain with 48-volt technology, paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Every Prado has full-time all-wheel drive with a lockable torque-sensing Torsen centre differential and low-range gearing, with a strong 3,500kg braked towing capacity across the range.
Meanwhile, there’s some blurring of lines happening in the USA, where Prado’s apparently not favoured as a name plate. There, the new truck is simply Land Cruiser and it’s offered in similar spec levels, but with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo engine.
Toyota USA and Toyota Australia even use the same images.
Over there, Car and Driver said: “It is to be expected that Toyota would not walk away from this iconic vehicle. Instead, the automaker called a time out and used it to engineer a clean break from the Land Cruiser’s increasingly expensive and bloated mall-cruiser trajectory. This desirable off-roader has stayed faithful to the original concept, but Toyota made a determined effort to return this off-road SUV to a more mainstream price point.”
