Have Prado will travel

The first all-new Prado in 15 years has a raft of modern kit rolled into a retro package. 

Story + Photos Mark Muller

Classic Top End wet season conditions are starting to assert themselves in early December when OUTBACK joins Toyota and Tourism NT for the launch of the new LandCruiser Prado 250 Series in Kakadu National Park. Hot, sunny, steamy days followed by pelting rain and storms in the late afternoon wash the stunning backdrop of escarpments, waterfalls, billabongs and back roads in this iconic part of Australia. It’s an excellent place to get a feel for the Prado. From the loping drive along 300km or so of good bitumen on the Arnhem Road between Darwin and Cooinda to the sweeping bends on the way in and out of Ubir, to rutted rocky tracks exploring such places as Ikoymarrwa (Moline) Falls and closing out with a sharp afternoon session at a 4WD testing and training site just out of Darwin, the trip provides the chance to assess just how capable and functional the new Prado is, off road and on. The verdict? It’s impressive.

The Prado comes in 5 guises. The top-of-the-line Kakadu will set you back $99,990 before on-road costs. It is followed by the off-road specialised Altitude at $92,700, through the VX, GXL, and finally the entry-level GX, which is priced at $72,500. All are powered by the 2.8L, 4-cylinder turbo-diesel engine found in the Hilux and 70-series LandCruiser, with the Prado (like the Hilux) also running an extra 48-volt system to give a boost to the stop-start functions, steering pumps and fans, and other electrics. The engine throws off 150kW of power and 500Nm of torque, providing a towing capacity of 3500kg. It is mated to a new 8-speed auto transmission and a full-time, dual-range 4WD system.

It always feels like there’s plenty of power to make the Prado’s 2.5 tonnes do what needs to be done, whether overtaking at highway speeds or delivering smooth grunt when crawling about. The electric power steering system provides excellent input – firm and responsive on the highway, and light and easy-to-direct over obstacles at low speeds. Well-calibrated coil spring suspension is equally refined.

The 5-door wagon sits on a ladder frame chassis that it shares with the LandCruiser 300 series and the Lexus GX550, with a wheelbase of 2850mm. With a departure angle of 17° across the board, approach angles of 31° on the GX and GXL, and 32° for the Altitude, Kakadu and VX, ground clearance of 210–221mm depending on the spec, and a wading depth of 700mm, this is a bus that is versatile and competent in a range of scenarios. A 110L fuel tank and consumption in the vicinity of 7.6L/100km gives the Prado a respectable range. A 17.4L AdBlue tank aids emissions reduction, whether you care about such things or not.

The exterior styling is an appealingly modern-meets-retro combo reminiscent of the early 60 Series Cruisers. The interior is pared-back, comfortable and high-tech. There’s a lot of passenger room, and the upright stance and plenty of glass ensure excellent visibility all around. This is enhanced by the variety of cameras available to assist in wheel placement, viewed in-cabin on a 31cm multimedia screen, which is also the interface for a lot of the vehicle systems.

The GX and the Altitude are 5-seat models, with the rest getting a third row to garner 7 seats. This third row does not fold down flat into the floor, and cannot be removed easily, which is potentially a problem. The cargo area in all models has a box with a plastic cover on it that is rated to 60kg, which raises questions about just how much stuff you can really load into the back. It’s apparently where the battery for overseas hybrid models is stored. Here, the 48-volt battery sits under the second-row seats. It feels like an afterthought workaround rather than the strong, purposeful design so evident elsewhere.

For go-anywhere capability, the Altitude is the pick. It is the only spec with a locking rear diff and the ability to disconnect the front sway bars. It rides on all-terrain 18-inch tyres, while the other variants roll on less-aggressive 20-inch rubber.

During testing, the Altitude covers some pretty rugged terrain with, at first, only the regular systems engaged. It gets through without ‘assistance’, but hunts and spins and has to work a bit for its progress. So does the driver. With low range, diffs locked and sway bars disconnected it happily traverses country like a wombat on steroids. It is very good, and great fun.

There will be Prados that may never enjoy the validation of engaging low-range. So be it. But real appreciation and exploration of the new Toyota’s capabilities – and its true worth – are to be found well beyond the bitumen.