The long-awaited new-generation Toyota Prado has been revealed in Japan, where it’ll be known as the Land Cruiser 250.
As expected, the new model is closely based on the latest Lexus GX, and its boxy new exterior design harks back to early Land Cruiser roots.
Although the two vehicles that you see here are classified as prototypes, it’s unlikely that they’ll change much in their transition to production models. Interestingly, Toyota is offering two front end design options, with a more modern face featuring rectangular headlights and a retro look with round light clusters. Still want that Defender?
The new Land Cruiser is set to reach South African shores in the second quarter of 2024, Toyota SA tells us, with the line-up, specifications and pricing to be announced closer to launch. Given that the local division is referring to it as the Prado, it seems evident that the SUV will retain that name in our market, and others such as Australia.
Though it might look somewhat retro on the outside, the new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is completely modern beneath the skin, riding on the same TNGA-F platform that underpins the larger LC 300. Thanks to this architecture, Toyota claims a 50% increase in frame rigidity, while overall rigidity is said to have improved by 50%.
With an overall length of 4,925mm, the new LC 250 is slightly shorter than the current Prado, and only 55mm short of the Land Cruiser 300, with which it shares a 2,850mm wheelbase.
Toyota has announced five different powertrain options for the new model, which will vary depending on the region of the world.
Headlining the range is a new 2.4-litre turbopetrol engine that offers 207kW and 430Nm in its standard guise, and there’s a beefier, but no doubt much pricier, hybrid variant that’s good for 243kW and 630Nm. Some markets will also receive a 2.7-litre normally aspirated petrol unit that produces 120kW and 246Nm.
On the diesel front, the current 2.8-litre turbo unit, with 150kW and 500Nm, carries over from the current range, but now there’s a 48-volt mild hybrid version as well, offering the same outputs. This diesel engine is, of course, the most likely candidate for South Africa, keeping in mind that the local engine range has yet to be announced.
It goes without saying that the new Land Cruiser 250, or Prado, will be quite capable off the beaten track, and to that end Toyota claims to have “dramatically” improved its off-road performance.
The carmaker has enhanced the functionality of the Multi-Terrain Monitor and Multi-Terrain Select systems, and there’s also an interesting new feature called Stabiliser Disconnect Mechanism. A first for Toyota, this allows the front stabiliser bar to be adjusted, allowing for a better ride quality when off-roading and optimal handling stability when on normal tar surfaces.
"The Land Cruiser should be a car that supports people's lives and local communities, so the Light Duty model must return to the true form that customers are looking for," said Toyota Chairman and former President Akio Toyoda, who took ultimate responsibility for this vehicle’s development.
We can only imagine that this approach will win the approval of Toyota’s customers. Because what’s not to like about a Land Cruiser that’s, ultimately, more Land Cruiser-y?