When it launches in India, the new Land Cruiser Prado will be positioned above the Fortuner and below the Land Cruiser 300 SUVs.
Toyota has taken the wraps off not one but two Land Cruiser SUVs – the all-new (and smaller) Land Cruiser 250 for the North American market, and the heavily updated retro-styled Land Cruiser 70. The Land Cruiser 250 will be sold as the “Land Cruiser Prado” in other markets globally with slight differences in the trim and powertrain line-ups.
- Toyota updates its Land Cruiser Prado after 14 years
- Land Cruiser brand makes a comeback in the US
- Land Cruiser 70 gets updates too
With the all-new Land Cruiser 250, Toyota has reintroduced the Land Cruiser brand in the North American market (United States domestic market – USDM) after the bigger Land Cruiser 200 was discontinued a few years ago. The much larger Land Cruiser 300, which is sold in India and other markets, never went on sale in North America.
New Land Cruiser Prado, Land Cruiser (USDM) break cover
The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado has received a full model change after nearly 14 years. It now sits on a modular TNGA-F architecture and is based on the recently showcased Lexus GX SUV. The new SUV is squarely aimed at the Ford Bronco, the Land Rover Defender and the Jeep Wrangler, and has a design influence that mimics cues from almost all generations of past Land Cruiser. It gets a chunky two-box silhouette that nods to its “ability to withstand harsh conditions”, the model again majors on practicality, durability and dependability.
Toyota says the focus for this new Land Cruiser Prado SUV (codenamed J250) is on providing improved on-road refinement as well as the latest off-road technology. The chassis is said to be 50 percent more rigid than that of its predecessor, and the entire body-on-frame assembly is some 30 percent stiffer. It measures 4,920mm in length and 1,870mm in height, and has a 2,850mm long wheelbase. The J250 is slightly larger than its predecessor and its roomier, redesigned cabin is a world away in design and technical terms.
On the inside, it gets chunky physical controls with a lot of switchgear shared with the Land Cruiser 300. It gets multi-zone climate control, plush leather upholstery and a wraparound digital display with a new-generation infotainment system, all of which will help Toyota take on Land Rover’s three-year-old Defender with the new Prado.
Toyota says the new Land Cruiser Prado gets better all-terrain ability, with increased wheel articulation, an upgraded Multi-Terrain Monitor interface and improvements to the off-road driving modes among the headline upgrades that will boost its standing in this area. It also gets a disconnecting front anti-roll bar, which can be disengaged via a switch on the dashboard to allow for maximum wheel articulation on especially challenging off-road courses.
New Land Cruiser Prado, Land Cruiser (USDM) powertrain details
The new Land Cruiser Prado will go on sale in the European, Japanese, Middle Eastern and Australian markets with the same 2.8-litre diesel engine that powers the Fortuner SUV in India. This engine, mated to an 8-speed automatic, will get a 48V MHEV mild-hybrid powertrain by 2025. Toyota recently announced that it is testing an MHEV-equipped Hilux mated to the same 2.8-litre diesel engine.
The Land Cruiser 250 will come with a 2.4-litre petrol engine with a hybrid powertrain – the same engine that powers the Lexus GX 470 and a long list of Toyota and Lexus models globally.
Retro-styled Land Cruiser 70 gets updates too
The Land Cruiser 70, which is still on sale in markets like Australia, the Middle East and Africa, has been updated too. Cosmetic changes are kept at a minimum, with an all-new front styling with rounded headlamps, a new grille design and prominent Toyota badging. It gets a major update under the hood with the addition of the 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel powerplant that joins the 4.5-litre V8 diesel.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, Land Cruiser 70: India launch details
While we don’t expect the Land Cruiser 70 to come to India, the all-new Land Cruiser Prado will surely make it to our shores in the near future, and will be positioned above the Fortuner and below the full-size Land Cruiser 300 SUVs.
Toyota is also readying the market launch of the new Vellfire in India, as well as two other models. Read more on that here.
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