In cruise control: New Prado to roar into SA with more power, style and comfort
It can reliably be said that it has largely been the Land Cruiser that has brought Toyota the reputation for being, well, reliable. The sheer number of years in production and on the roads is testament to that suggestion.
First launched in 1951, more than 10 million Land Cruisers have been sold over 70-odd years. These hardy cabbies have traversed the length and breadth of the globe, many times over.
It has been available as a convertible, a hard top, a station wagon and a half truck. In 1990, the smaller version became available as the Land Cruiser Prado, kicking off a trend of rough-and-ready vehicles with style and comfort entering the urban cityscape.
Now the all-new Land Cruiser Prado is set to be launched in South Africa. Right off it looks smarter, in that the previously boxy shape has been contoured nicely while preserving tight folds, creating a country road comfort car that can also pose as a city slicker.
It is powered by the tried-and-tested 150kW 2.8-litre turbodiesel powerplant but now has two extra gears with an eight-speed Direct Shift automatic transmission. That’s good for pulling a load of up to 3 500kg, so the caravan can get loaded right up with the kitchen sink no problem.
Initially, there will be three derivatives on offer. The baseline 2.8-GD at R1 296 300, the smarter 2.8-GD VX-R at R1 448 900 and the First Edition at a cool R1 472 600. The First Edition will be easily identifiable by its model-exclusive ‘heritage’ round headlights while the rest get a nicely squared-off look. Additionally, the limited First Edition will get subtle badging on the front fenders and lettered mudflaps.
Talking about mud, all versions get permanent all-wheel drive with Crawl Control, but you have to upgrade to the VX-R if you want diff lock and the fancy multi-terrain selection system. Some say that dilutes the fun of off road driving, though.
On the inside you get a choice of five or seven-seat configurations, done out in leather all round and with built-in heating for the front seats and electrical adjustment. All this fits in nicely with the 18-inch alloy wheels.
There are kwaai goodies on the interior, lie the dual zone climate control, lekker touchscreen, cruise control, parking distance control and blind spot monitor. But what really stands out is the moonroof, if but for the name, that comes with the flagship model. The VX-R also gets wireless phone charging and a heated steering wheel, on-board fridge and digital rear-view mirror.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za