Prepare to wait until 2024 for new Toyota Prado

An admission last year by Toyota’s Sales and Marketing Manager in Australia about the prolonged wait for the successor of the current Land Cruiser Prado has seemingly proved accurate according to a new report Down Under.

In an interview with drive.com.au in November, Sean Hanley, when asked about the new model, simply said, “I really can’t comment. I can’t go there. I know it’s your job, but I’m not prepared to comment on speculation”.

Long wait

The biggest hint about the new Prado being some way off though came after the executive admitted that the current J150, which debuted in 2009, is still recording impressive sales figures Down Under and that buyers are still loving it despite its age.

Already pushed back three times as claims of it debuting in 2021, 2022 and later this year have all contributed to almost five years of speculative reports, the latest allegation from carexpert.com.au points to a new reveal year of 2024.

In a complete reversal of the mentioned November claims, alleging a third quarter of 2023 unveiling, the online publication, citing reports from Japan, suggests April 2024 as the month in which Toyota will finally premiere the all-new Prado.

New platform, new name?

Reportedly, the newcomer will drop the Prado name in Japan and simply become the Land Cruiser 250-series as per its internal moniker, though whether this will actually happen remains to be seen.

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What is known though is that the Prado will move to Toyota’s new body-on-frame TNGA-F platform used by the Land Cruiser 300, Sequoia, Tundra and Lexus LX, and soon, the all-new Fortuner, 4Runner and Tacoma that will provide the preview for the next generation Hilux due out in 2025.

Question of power

As with the current J150 model, the 250-series will provide seating for five or seven depending on the market, with the biggest mystery being the choice of powertrains.

At present, rumours persist that the Prado will join the next generation Fortuner in receiving a mild-hybrid version of the existing 2.8 GD-6 turbodiesel engine, while the stalwart normally aspirated 2.7-litre petrol is expected to depart in favour of a 2.5-litre hybrid.

Also mentioned is a variant of the Land Cruiser 300’s 3.3-litre turbodiesel V6 and now, the 2.4-litre turbo-petrol that powers the Crown, Highlander/Kluger, Lexus NX and RX, and soon, the Tacoma itself.

Equally intriguing is the possibly of the i-Force Max turbocharged 3.5-litre hybrid V6 from the Tundra and Sequoia being mentioned as an option and therefore the most likely replacement for the J150’s normally aspirated 4.0-litre V6.

Despite its size, the mentioning of the latter won’t come as a surprise as its inclusion of an electric motor still adheres to Toyota’s strategy of hybridising all of its vehicles by 2025.

More to come

Although Toyota has kept unsurprisingly quiet about divulging any details about the Prado, which currently leads the Isuzu MU-X as Australia’s best-selling bakkie-based SUV, more details and rumours are expected to emerge until the automaker makes releases an official statement or commences an image-based teaser campaign.

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