Boxy Toyota LandCruiser Prado revealed for 2024

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New version of Toyota’s venerable off-roader receives design inspired by classic FJ60 LandCruiser.

After nearly 14 years on the market in its current form, the Toyota LandCruiser Prado has been drastically overhauled in a bid to steal sales from the Land Rover Defender and Jeep Wrangler.

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The model will launch in Australia in 2024 although it is unclear if one or both new bodystyles will be introduced here.

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Designed with obvious influence from past LandCruisers and with a chunky two-box silhouette that nods to its “ability to withstand harsh conditions”, the model again majors on practicality, durability and dependability.

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The go-anywhere 4×4 has long been one of the world’s most competent off-roaders, but the focus for this new fifth-generation car, codenamed J250, is on providing improved on-road refinement and competitive levels of technology.

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To that end, the LandCruiser moves from the old J150 platform to Toyota’s new Global Architecture, following the larger J300 LandCruiser.

The new body-on-frame structure ensures the SUV is “easy to manoeuvre and more comfortable during on-road driving”, according to Toyota.

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The chassis is said to be 50% more rigid than that of its predecessor and the entire body-on-frame assembly is some 30% stiffer. That, plus improved suspension, means the Land Cruiser promises to be more responsive and comfortable in all driving situations.

Measuring 4920mm long and 1870mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2850mm, the J250 is slightly larger than its predecessor, and its roomier, redesigned cabin is a world away in design and technical terms.

Chunky physical controls still abound and there is a clear emphasis on utility, but the full-length glass roof, multi-zone climate control, plush leather upholstery and wraparound digital display – hosting a new-generation infotainment system – hint at a bid to move upmarket to more closely rival Land Rover’s three-year-old Defender.

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Staying true to its roots, the LandCruiser maintains a prevailing focus on 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.

Toyota’s rough-and-ready, old-school, unstoppable 4×4 gets a bit less rough-and-ready. Likeably simple and functional, and worth considering if you need a genuine dual-purpose SUV

It’s also equipped with 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 trails.

From launch in Australia, the LandCruiser Prado will use a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine with 48volt belt-integrated starter motor producing Producing 150kW of power and 500Nm of torque.

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