2024 Toyota LandCruiser Prado

By Alex Forrest

Watch Alex test drive the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser Prado through Whiteman Park or read the transcript on this page.

Part of the reason for that is a 48-volt electric assist system, which is pretty good, and the rear end packaging.

We've used the new Prado for a range of activities from off-roading, road tripping, and towing a boat, not to mention driving around town for all those chores. Here's what we think.

Styling

The styling on the new Prado can't be ignored. There's those big Toyota letters across the front, just like how they were on the FJ’s from 50 years ago. There's also those little indicators as well, which hark back to earlier models.

It's a much longer wheelbase on this one as well, so it allows for a very short overhang on the front, better approach angle, and the white roof on this one too does reference those earlier ones, but it's a very modern feel to it. And the blocky-ness continues on the back end.

Interior

The interior is well laid out, it's logical. There's some big buttons to operate. The very frequently used functions like the ventilation controls, particularly in a four-wheel drive, these are important. There's a traditional gear lever for the eight-speed auto, and the handbrake is electric in the new Prado.

There's also plenty of charging options for more than just the driver. There's three USB-C outputs. There's also a charging pad as well, wireless charging. The touchscreen is nice and tall. It's relatively fast to use. It does connect to your phone well, and it just seems to make sense logically, which is unfortunately an all too rare feature in modern cars.

The ergonomics in the new Prado are pretty good, really. The driver's seat gets eight-way adjustability, and I was able to get comfortable for a solid two-hour drive and got out feeling fresh as a daisy, really. Another interesting and somewhat uncommon feature in the new Prado is a rearview mirror, which is connected to a camera. So if you've got lots of cargo in the back, you can switch over to the camera mode and look straight out the tailgate.

Practicality

There is a higher floor, to accommodate the 48-volt system battery, which is mounted in here. And as well as also accommodating the spare tyre, which is now mounted under the vehicle. On other variants of the Prado, such as the GXL, which has got a third row of seating, the floor is even higher with those seats folded, about twice the height as what you can see here.

Speaking of height, the tailgate is tall enough to accommodate me standing underneath it, which is great, but it's also got these little lights that shine down and show not just the back into the cargo area, but also the ground around the rear of the vehicle. And that is really useful when you're packing kids, luggage, whatever it is, when the sun's gone down.

On the road

The biggest change with this 250 series Prado, apart from the obvious body design, has been the utilisation of the 300 series platform, which is a lot stiffer than the previous Prado’s platform, and that helps the suspension do its job better. But there's also been the introduction of a number of little extra features that help improve its off-road ability. One of them is the ability to detach the front sway bar when you're going through the rough stuff, and that really gives you a little bit of extra articulation of the front wheels as you’re going through those more challenging off-road conditions. Toyota has said that it's only 10% extra wheel articulation that that offers, but it's also perhaps a little bit of bragging rights as well.

It's just such a capable thing off-road, even in its standard trim, without any modification, that it's a pity that so many Prado’s never go off-road and get driven in suburban areas without their capability ever really being tested. That long travel suspension in the Prado really does give it a beautiful ride. It's a very supple ride at highway speeds.

Coming up here to Whiteman Park along the Tonkin Highway. It just really made me feel like this thing could keep on going to Karratha with no trouble at all, as most cars could, but it certainly has a great level of comfort on the highway at highway speeds. Very relaxed cruising.

The downside to such a supple ride though, is suburban driving in those tight corners. It does lean a bit, a little bit like how we're doing right now, actually, and we're only doing 40km/hr. So it's a tall vehicle, it's pretty softly suspended, and that does play out a little bit in the way the car goes around corners, particularly with these all-terrain tyres on the Altitude model we’ve got here today.

48-volt mild-hybrid system

The other interesting feature is the car's 48-volt electric assist system. And Toyota are a bit particular about not calling it a hybrid, because it does kick in when certain conditions are satisfied, a bit like a typical hybrid system, but it doesn't work all the time. That's partly why Toyota have said that the engine outputs are the same in this as they were in the previous model, it’s still 150kW and 500Nm.

It does allow the engine to idle down at really low revs, when you're in a crawling situation, over really rough terrain. And how that helps you is that it gives the driver better control because you can go very, very slowly over very tricky terrain. And that's a little improvement to the Prado's capability.

The belt driven electric assist system does also make the restarts a lot smoother with that start stop technology, so it does make it a much more likable system than the old school cranking with the starter motor.

The 2.8L diesel has also had some upgrades itself, including some revisions to the turbocharger and the exhaust system. And there's also been some changes to the drive belt system as well on the front of the engine to accommodate the new 200-amp alternator.

So those changes, plus the new eight-speed transmission, have all contributed to getting the fuel consumption down from 7.9L per 100km to 7.6L per 100km in the laboratory test. We however have been getting a little bit more than that, about 9.5L to 10L per 100km, depending on where we're driving.

And it's got electric power steering, which is a first for a Prado. It might make a small difference with fuel consumption, but primarily it's there to accommodate those new safety systems like Lane Keep Assist, which wouldn't work with a traditional hydraulic system.

Towing Capacity and ANCAP safety rating

Towing capacity being up at 3.5 tonnes will be a big tick for those looking to shop this against siblings like the 300 series, and other vehicles like the Ford Everest, for example. And of course, it's great to see that it's got a five-star ANCAP safety rating, which nowadays does take some getting.

Likes and dislikes

So, what do we like? Well, there's the incremental improvements in its off-road capability. There's the eight-speed transmission which is a welcome addition. And the increase in the towing capacity to 3.5 tonnes. Plus, it's much more refined on the highway, and it's pretty easy to manoeuvre as well, despite its size in tight spots.

And our dislikes. Well, there is the packaging in the rear cargo area. It's pretty noisy under load, and the servicing is six monthly, and it's fairly pricey as well. In saying that, the Prado has had some important upgrades that justify the price increases, and they make it one of the most advanced All-Terrain vehicles on the market today.

2024 LandCruiser Prado 250 Series Specifications: