Toyota claims that the new Prado has even better “Cruiser’s off-road capabilities with a higher level of on-board guidance and technical support for the driver. New, user-friendly functions have been introduced that can help make tricky routes passable, over terrain on which even accomplished off-road drivers might feel challenged.” Toyota promises that the new Prado will be one of the most technically advanced and easy to drive off-road vehicles in the world.
Three-door and five-door models will be available, seating up to seven, but we anticipate only the five-door models making it to South Africa. The 3,0-litre D-4D engine has been revised for the new Prado and now produces 410 Nm, while a 4,0-litre V6 will also be available, while the only gearbox we’ve seen mentioned is a five-speed automatic.
A new feature launched by Toyota in the new-generation Land Cruiser Prado is Multi-terrain Select, which, Toyota says, “automatically controls power and braking to optimise performance for different types of off-road surfaces. At the same time, the Multi-terrain Monitor feeds real time images from around the vehicle from a network of four cameras to provide the driver with more information about the immediate surroundings. The new Steering Angle Display shows the position of the vehicle’s wheels and its predicted path, further helping the driver plot a safe route.
The Crawl Control feature lets the driver choose from five different setting to optimise vehicle set-up to tackle even extreme conditions with precision and control, without having to use the throttle or brake pedals. Crawl Control will also help the driver free the vehicle, should it become stuck in mud or sand.”
The Toyota Prado will go on sale in South Africa at the end of October.