Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VX-L review (2021): Mid-range Toyota SUV still delivers the goods
The continued rise in popularity of the SUV within the local market stands products such as the recently updated Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in good stead. We had a chance to drive this diesel-powered off-roader recently.
As South Africa's most popular automotive brand, Toyota has some iconic models within its line-up, and one of those is certainly the Land Cruiser Prado, a firm favourite for those that have no need for the large engine and associated price tag of the full-fat Land Cruiser but want more luxury and refinement than the bakkie-based Fortuner can offer.
A flagship Land Cruiser Prado VX-L was delivered to AutoTrader for review purposes, and we proceeded to make use of it for a go-kart-fueled racing adventure to KwaZulu Natal recently.
Styling
The stylistic updates made to the Prado range have served to modernise the exterior, with the headlights, front grille, bumper and bonnet now looking more akin to newer Toyota SUVs, while the new alloy wheels and changes to the front and rear bumpers give the side profile a much-needed update. The rear-end features newly shaped taillights with a C-shaped motif, revised bumper and a smaller garnish plate. Overall, the Prado better resembles its now out-of-production land Cruiser 200 sibling and is still a rugged and functional-looking off-roader.
Interior and space
There have been some updates made to the interior of the Prado, such as the lower centre console, a new digitised instrument cluster, an 8.0-inch infotainment system with smartphone integration, a flush-fitting climate control panel as well as new material finishes, which have improved things, but there is still an ageing look to the inside of the Prado, particularly after seeing the Land Cruiser 300.
From a practicality perspective, the Prado offers a flexible 7-seat configuration, with between 104 and 974-litres of luggage space. Since we headed down to KwaZulu Natal with three occupants and all of our racing gear as well as an entire go-kart in tow, we filled the Prado to the brim and were pleasantly surprised with how much it could accommodate.
Performance and driving impression
The big news with the Prado is the fact that the current-generation Hilux and Fortuner 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine replaces the antiquated but unbreakable 3.0-litre unit. The new oil-burner produces 150kW and 500Nm of torque and is paired with a 6-speed torque converter automatic sending power to all four wheels. The engine has certainly improved the general refinement and performance of the Prado, with our week with the vehicle coinciding with an aforementioned trip to Kwa-Zulu Natal for a go-kart race. This meant towing the racing machine, its trailer and also carrying all of the weekend's racing gear and three occupants, filling the car to the absolute brim.
We are happy to report that the Prado took the trip in its stride, and despite the fact that the trailer and go-kart itself weigh less than 300kg in total, it genuinely did not ever feel as though we were towing anything, which is to be expected as the Prado can tow a claimed 3 000kg. We used the vehicles as an open road cruiser and urban commuter so did not get a chance to sample its off-road ability, however, AutoTrader has previously tested the Prado, which can be read here.
Safety
The Land Cruiser Prado was crash-tested by the Australia-based ANCAP assessment programme in 2011, where it achieved the maximum 5-Star rating. This rating is quite outdated, however, the updated Prado, in flagship VX-L guise comes with 7 airbags, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitor, rear ISOFIX child seat anchor points, front and rear PDC and a surround-view camera.
Fuel economy
The Prado comes with a gargantuan 150-lite fuel tank, which consists of an 87-litre main tank and a 63-litre auxiliary tank, which when combined with a 7.9 L/100km claimed fuel consumption figure, results in a cruising range of 1 765 km. During our tenure with the vehicle, which included the aforementioned towing, we achieved a commendable 10.1 L/100km combined consumption figure.
Pricing
The Land Cruiser Prado VX-L retails for R1 159 900, placing it firmly between the popular Fortuner and Land Cruiser 300. The model comes with a 3-year/100 000km warranty and a 9-service/90 000km service plan.
Verdict
Despite celebrating over a decade in the local market, the updates made to the seemingly evergreen Land Cruiser Prado have made it acceptable modern, while all of the virtues that make it a superb family overland vehicle remain. It should be considered by those looking for a family vehicle for around the R1.0-million mark, although, we would avoid the 4.0-litre V6 petrol and stick with the 2.8-litre diesel.
