The legendary Toyota Land Cruiser Prado gets updated.
You may find this hard to believe but the current Toyota Land Cruiser Prado has been in the market since 2009. Yes, it’s been more than 10 years since the fourth-generation model graced the market so you’d be forgiven for thinking that Toyota might have something entirely new to offer.
But no, instead of giving birth to a fifth generation Land Cruiser Prado, the Japanese automaker has decided to give the full-size SUV yet another update in its home market to ensure it stays fresh for some more time. It’s not a bad thing though because this time the Land Cruiser Prado gets more power along with a slew of upgrades in the equipment department.
For the model year 2021, the 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV turbodiesel engine is fed with a bigger turbocharger that helps to boost its power from 174 hp previously to 201 hp. Better yet, torque has also increased significantly from 450 Nm to 500 Nm. A six-speed Super ECT automatic transmission is tasked to channel the output to the wheels via a full-time 4WD system.
Apart from the Land Cruiser Prado, this engine is also found in the facelifted Toyota Hilux, which has already been launched in Thailand and will make its way to Malaysian shores soon.
On the equipment front, the Toyota Safety Sense system has been improved through the addition of new features including night pedestrian detection and daytime cyclist detection, yaw assist for the lane departure alert, road sign assist as well as rear-cross traffic alert for some variants. A 9-inch display audio system with smartphone integration is optionally available while paddle shifters are now equipped as standard on the range-topping TZ-G variant.
To make the lineup more exciting, Toyota is also offering a Black Edition model for both the diesel and petrol versions. As the name suggests, this exclusive model is perfect for those who want a stealthy look thanks to the black-painted grille, headlamp and tailgate garnishes, side mirror housing and 18-inch alloy wheels. As for the interior, the only changes are the silver control panel under the infotainment system and black centre cluster panel.
The Japanese-market Land Cruiser Prado is available in five and seven-seater forms. It will be sold alongside the petrol version, also offered in five and seven-seater versions. Prices start from 3,621,000 yen (RM143,656) all the way to 5,530,000 yen (RM219,391). As before, it will not be offered officially by UMW Toyota Motor but expect to see it sitting on the lot of grey importers few years down the road.
