In Germany the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is a fairly rare sight on the road. But among die-hard off-road fans this version of the Land Cruiser has been popular for decades, for travelling too. After all, the Prado combines genuine off-road ability with a touch of luxury and many comforts that we tend to know from the SUV segment. On 2 August at 10 a.m. Japanese time the moment came: the new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 250 was unveiled by the Japanese carmaker in a world premiere.
Prado, Land Cruiser? Which is it now? The Prado is the light-duty series of the Land Cruiser. Depending on the platform, it is also known as the Land Cruiser 70, 90, 120, 150 or now the Toyota Prado 250. The history of the Land Cruiser goes back more than 70 years, and the off-roader from Toyota has grown – in its various forms – into an off-road icon that ranks alongside other big names such as Land Rover or Jeep. So the new Prado carries a certain heritage, and with the new model Toyota brings together the modern and the traditional.
World premiere of the new Toyota Prado 250 live on YouTube
Toyota presented the new Prado live on YouTube. A format we tend to know from tech companies. And so off-road fans around the globe could follow the reveal.
Visually, too, the new Prado – like its predecessors – looks rugged. Angular, short overhangs, a tidy interior, clean lines in the cockpit, an off-roader that doesn’t hide its genes and roots. Permanent all-wheel drive, low range and a rear diff lock – that already sounds good. Let’s look at a few details, because it wouldn’t be a new Prado if the modern age hadn’t moved in further here.
First, something for the off-roaders among the Prado fans. For the first time at Toyota, a vehicle comes with a disconnectable front anti-roll bar. It can be controlled at the push of a button from the cockpit. So it’s not only the look that recalls the new Ford Bronco a little. It too has a disconnectable front anti-roll bar on board for better articulation off-road.
In keeping with the times, there is also a wealth of assistance systems, grouped at Toyota under the name T-Mate. The new Prado can also detect common accident scenarios and supports the driver with corresponding braking and steering inputs. For the first time in a Land Cruiser, the new model has electric power steering. This is meant to allow smoother, more direct steering and is combined with a lane-keeping assistant. Popular on modern off-road vehicles and available in the new Prado too is a high-resolution camera that gives a view of the immediate surroundings and the ground.
Of course the new edition of the Prado also comes with a healthy towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms.
The drivetrain of the new Toyota Prado 250
A key question that stirs people at every new off-roader reveal is the one about the drivetrain. In Western Europe the new Prado will launch with a 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine. The Land Cruiser sends its 150 kW, or 204 hp, through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. A hybrid variant is also announced for later. Incidentally, as a hybrid – its only engine option – the Prado is also set to reach the North American market. That makes a Land Cruiser available again through Toyota dealers in North America after a long time, which the off-road scene there is very taken with.
And one more thing matters to all Land Cruiser fans: there will be a limited First Edition in a special design with classic round headlights.
Land Cruiser fans will have to be a little patient
The new Prado can already be pre-configured – and pre-ordered – on the Toyota website. There you will also find further information and equipment details. According to the manufacturer, the pre-sale in Europe starts in October this year. The first vehicles are expected to be delivered in the first half of 2024.
Good news for those of you who can’t wait to see the new Prado in the flesh: a pre-production model of the First Edition is due to be on show at the Toyota Collection in Cologne on 2 September, as well as at the Buschtaxi meet from 8–10 September 2023 in Ohrdruf.
More interesting news for overlanders
And almost in passing, a facelift of the 70-series Heavy Duty range – popular with professional users such as aid organisations and with travellers – was also presented. The look takes some getting used to, but taste, as we know, is in the eye of the beholder. This facelift shows its roots very clearly, though: retro is writ large here.
But the engine line-up is worth noting. While the 70 series is known for its large-capacity engines, such as the legendary but low-powered 4.2-litre naturally aspirated diesel, the 4-litre six-cylinder petrol or the V8 diesel with a beefy 4.5-litre capacity that is popular especially Down Under, the facelift comes – alongside the V8 – with a four-cylinder diesel engine and automatic gearbox. Whether it will reach the showrooms of authorised Toyota dealers here as well remains to be seen.
Overall this leaves Toyota broadly positioned in the off-roader segment
From the simple, familiar workhorse of the Heavy Duty range through the Prado 250 to the flagship, the 300-series Land Cruiser, Toyota has something in the off-roader segment for many tastes and use cases. Not all models or variants are available in all markets, of course.
There’s real movement in the off-roader market right now, and the new Prado 250 widens the spectrum once more. That’s a good development and an exciting time in this vehicle segment. Of course these off-roaders are no longer as martial as they were in the 80s or 90s and no longer have the much-quoted simple technology that people like to glorify around campfires and in forums. But we have to say goodbye to that given various developments and regulations. Manufacturers can no longer build cars the way they did decades ago. It’s that simple. The new technology does have plenty of advantages, and there are good concepts, such as the newly presented Prado. And anyone who can’t warm to these developments simply restores an old off-roader or looks after what they have. For everyone else the market has plenty on offer. The new Defender, Ineos Grenadier, new Bronco or, indeed, the new Prado now.
At first glance the new Prado looks a promising off-roader in terms of good off-road ability, travel qualities and a high level of comfort and safety. The new Prado 250 unites the modern and the traditional in one vehicle. We’re keen to see and drive the first vehicles in the flesh.
© Photos: Toyota