Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

Step inside the spacious cabin of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and you’ll be greeted with leather-wrapped seats, door trim, and steering wheel. With its full size, there’s enough seating to fit 7 passengers comfortably, abundant legroom, and ample headspace to ensure that passengers don’t feel cooped up. However, the wood trim detail in the instrument panel center cluster did little to reduce the plasticky feel on an outdated looking interior set up. The net pocket on the back of the driver and front passenger seats and only 6 cup holders does not help either. Unless you’re into vintage looking cabin, with its premium price tag, you’d expect the Land Cruiser Prado to come with more updated and premium features that will add to its luxurious feel like strategically integrated cubbies to keep the vehicle organized, a wireless charging port, ambient lighting system, HD or LED instrument cluster, and added floating or back headrest monitors for rear passenger entertainment. On the plus side, the Prado does have a 4.2-inch TFT color display monitor at the center cluster and dual auto climate control AC system with rear independent control and vents to maximize the flow of cold air. Connectivity includes 12V accessory power outlet is scattered on the front, rear, and deck of the cabin, USB, and Bluetooth function. It is also worth noting that the full flat power fold seats on the rearmost row mean maximized cargo space.

The fourth-generation Toyota Land Cruiser Prado features its classic robust stand but with modern touches. The upgraded look begins with the massive vertical slits front grille with chrome details. It is flanked with LED headlights. At the lower portion of the bumper are the halogen front fog and driving lamp. The hood creases add a touch of modern feel to a not so curvy front hood. The ruggedness is elevated with bulging angular fenders. At the rear are a pair of LED taillights and rear foglamps on the side, and massive rear spoiler with integrated high mount stop lamp to complete the SUV look. Roof rails also come standard. This full-size SUV measures 4,780 mm long, 1,885 mm wide, 1,890 mm tall with a 2,790 mm wheelbase, and 220 mm ground clearance. This Prado rides on a set of R18 7.5JJ Alloy wheels and wrapped in 265 /60 rubber.

The Toyota Prado is very versatile that it can power through with ease in both paved and rough roads perfect for transitioning from city driving to long weekend family drives. Driving this full-size SUV is adrenaline-pumping especially when taking it off-road. The rack and pinion with a power assist steering system give this Toyota vehicle a powerful grip for the driver and give it a firm control when maneuvering this mammoth SUV. The robust suspension system that uses a combination of double-wishbone independent suspension with stabilizer at the front and 4-link type suspension with stabilizer at the rear coupled with kinetic dynamic suspension stabilizers minimize body rolls and ensures a very cushioned, comfortable ride.

The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is available in two engine options: The 1KD-FTV diesel or 4.0L 1GR-FE gasoline engine. The 1KD-FTV is a 3.0L 4-cylinder inline 16 valve DOHC Turbocharged diesel engine with intercooler that produces 163 PS of maximum output at 3,400 rpm and 410 Nm of peak torque at 2,800 rpm. The 2,982cc engine uses a direct injection 4-stroke common-rail fuel system and is mated to either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automatic gate-type shift lever. The 1GR-FE, on the other hand, is a 6 cylinder V-type 24 valve DOHC with a dual VVT-I gasoline engine that delivers maximum power of 275 PS at 5,600 rpm and maximum torque of 381 Nm at 4,400 rpm. The massive 3,956cc engine uses an electronic fuel injection system and is equipped with a 6-speed automatic with a sequential shift transmission system. But the size of the engine and the full-time 4x4 system means it’s not as fuel-efficient as compared to popular mid-size SUVs in the market. But there is no denying that the large engines provide for a smooth and powerful performance. So powerful in fact that it is capable of towing up to 1,000 kg.

When it comes to passive and active safety features, the Land Cruiser Prado is equipped to lessen road risks and driver fatigue. This Toyota SUV is fitted with driver and passenger, driver knee, front side, and curtain side SRS airbags. For the brake control system, there’s the anti-lock brake system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and brake assist (BA). The parking assist system includes a back monitor and clearance and back sonar system that uses eight sensors: two at the front, two at the rears, and one on every four corners of the vehicle. Other driver-assist and safety features worth mentioning is the vehicle stability control, traction control, hill-start assist control, downhill assist control, side-impact beams, rain-sensing wipers, vehicle security alarm system with engine immobilizer, push start system, wireless door lock, childproof lock with smart entry, cruise control, and a standard navigation system.

The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is a highly reliable family vehicle that focuses on driving dynamics and cabin space. Its robust size ensures that rear passengers get to enjoy the smooth ride without feeling cramped. Adjustable seats give more leg space or cargo space. Ideally, build for families who like to take rough adventures on road less traveled, the Prado is a safe, dependable vehicle that can deliver superb performance. And if you find the vintage cabin feels a minor disadvantage or at par to your design preference, then the Prado is a good fit.