TOKYO - Following months of hype surrounding the all-new Land Cruiser 300, which is set to arrive in South Africa this month, the focus will soon turn to the smaller Land Cruiser Prado model, which is feeling a little long in the tooth these days.
Although the next-generation Land Cruiser Prado was expected to surface in 2023, new rumours out of Japan suggest that the newcomer is likely to be revealed around the middle of 2022.
This is according to Japanese website Creative311, which also lists rumours about its underpinnings. According to the publication, the new Land Cruiser Prado will not shift over to the new TNGA-F platform that underpins the new Land Cruiser 300. Instead the smaller ‘Cruiser will continue with the same ladder frame chassis as the current Prado, while the dimensions are also expected to remain similar.
This, of course, has yet to be confirmed by Toyota, and the same goes for the engines. Speculation has been rife that the new Prado will offer the new 3.3-litre V6 turbodiesel that made its debut in the LC300. The new six-cylinder unit produces 227kW and 700Nm, and it’s not impossible that Toyota might detune it a bit to create some space between the Prado and LC300.
But either way, the current 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel is likely to continue as an entry option. The motor was recently revised, with outputs raised to 150kW and 500Nm. The updated vehicle also gained new cabin tech as well as a Drive Mode Select system for diesel models. The current Toyota Prado is priced from R997 500 while the LC300 starts at R1 283 200.