No power struggle between new Prado and Land Cruiser 300
Prado a superb choice, but 2.8-litre mill takes back seat to Cruiser's mighty V6 engines.
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The new Prado in top spec VX guise. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe
Having driven the new Prado on its launch in Mozambique in July and then as a houseguest for a week in August, The Citizen Motoring knew that it does the Toyota Land Cruiser proud.
Our fondness for the new Prado in top-of-the-range VX.R trim grew further when we had the privilege to entertain the very same one again for five weeks over the December holidays. But we’ll stop short of a section of the Australian media which accused it of being too good. I kid you not, a bored bugger from Down Under shot the new Prado down for infringing on the Land Cruiser 300 for being bigger and as capable at a lower price.
While we’d hate to admit that anyone from down there is right, but his fellow Australians in the form of rock band Midnight Oil does remind us that “a fact’s a fact”. So yes, the new Prado is longer than the LC300, by a full 10mm at 4 990m, it rides on the same TNGA-F platform with very similar tech aboard and it does come in at over half a million rand less.
But is it a rival to the indomitable Master of Africa? Sorry, I’m tying his statement down before his kangaroo can reach the Outback.
New Prado lacks the Cruiser punch
The two cars look very different and the respective powertrain options in the LC300 and Prado is about as far apart as Tasmania from the Australian mainland. The Prado only engine option is the GD-6 2.8-litre turbodiesel that served in its predecessor and still makes 150kW/500Nm, albeit now mated to eight instead of six-speed automatic gearbox. While the additional gear ratios make the tried and trusted four-pot mill slightly more responsive, its unwavering reputation does not make it wow by any stretch of the imagination.
Under the bonnet of the Land Cruiser 300, things look very different. Here you have a choice of two superb V6 mills, one a 225kW/700Nm diesel engine and the other a 305/650Nm 3.5-litre turbocharged petrol powerplant. The latter powered both GR Hilux T1+ Evos that finished first and second in this year’s Dakar Rally. Put that in your didgeridoo and smoke it.
Having less horses means less feeding which isn’t a bad thing considering the price of horse feed. In this department the new box has really done wonders for the Prado’s GD-6 mill. We covered over 1 000km during the holidays with very little open road driven and our tester sipped an average of 10.5 litres per 100km. We preferred the Normal driving mode over the slightly lethargic Eco mode with the odd dabble in Sport. This number is excellent for a monstrosity weighing over 2.5 tons and a number which is very unlikely in the standard Fortuner and Hilux.
ALSO READ: New Toyota Land Cruiser Prado tames concrete jungle with ease
Geared to hit the trails
Making its fuel economy even more impressive is the fact that unlike the Fortuner and Hilux, or its predecessor, the new Prado is permanently in four-wheel drive. It has a selectable low range transfer case with Torsten rear slip differential, a rear and mid diff lock and a disconnect function for the stabiliser bar.
When venturing off the tarmac you can leave the car in Auto mode, which will automatically detect the surface and adjust accordingly. But is you really want to be old school, you can manually choose Sand, Mud or Snow mode.
Rock mode is reserved for low range during which you can also engage Crawl Control, which is just a fancy name for slow cruise control.
Manoeuvring your way through the bush is further eased by the superb off-road screen which features front and side views with wheel lines and distance markers, plus breakover, approach and departure angles.
While we did not do any hardcore off-roading, a few ventures on muddy gravel tracks were enough to leave us in awe of the Prado’s rock-solid suspension.
ALSO READ: VIDEO: New Toyota Land Cruiser Prado lives-up to the hype
Impromptu panel van
What we also appreciated during a staycation dedicated to a slew of DIY home improvements, was the Prado’s interior storage configurations. With the third-row seats now folding flat and not to the sides like its predecessor, you can fit much wider cargo through the tailgate.
With the third row flat, boot space is already 620 litres, but fold the second row down and get create panel van-like space in the form of almost two cubic metres. You should be able to fit at least two dozen dingos in there, or in our case lots of flat-pack furniture, doors, desks and whatever needed replacing.
We even hauled 3.9m long PVC ceiling boards, opening the tailgate window for the less than a metre that wouldn’t fit to stick out of.
At R1 470 600 the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is all the car you will ever need. It is good-looking, comfortable, spacious, capable, practical, wears it reputation with pride and will probably last forever. It is such a hit that we hear the waiting is a matter of years and not months. Now that’s bummer, mate.
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