Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado was not an unknown model in the Indian SUV market before its launch in the late 2004. Politicians, film stars, industrialists and assorted celebrities in India were desperately waiting for a long time to get their hands on its wheels. Toyota crept into the Indian SUV market when it was burgeoning. The Land Cruiser Prado is an able competitor for the Mitsubishi Montero, Pajero, Ford Endeavour and Nissan X-Trail, with loads of hi-tech devices and safety features.

The petrol-fed behemoth is a stunning SUV on road; it comes with a very powerful 4-litre V6 engine and is affordable only to a few. It is the largest and the most powerful SUV on the Indian soil; it has all the latest technologies available in a luxury car. The eight-seater Land Cruiser Prado is a completely built unit from Toyota's plant in Japan. The Prado has features like 5-speed auto-transmission, permanent four-wheel drive, dual zone air-conditioning, height control mechanism and the Electronic Modulated Suspension that Toyota is known for. Since its launch in 2005 globally, it has been the bestselling SUV. It is available in 2.7L and 4L variants globally, but in India, it is available in the 4L version only. The Prado is available in Black, Beige Metallic, Dark Red Mica, Silver Metallic and White colours.

Powertrain & Performance

The humongous SUV gets a monster engine; under the Prado's hood is a meaty 3,956cc (4-litre) V6, 24-valve, Double Overhead Camshaft (DOHC) engine that knocks out 232 bhp @ 5,200 rpm and generates 36.9kgm @ 3,800 rpm. The engine breathes through Toyota's Variable Valve Timing Intelligence technology (VVT-i), which controls the valve opening and closing timings at higher rpms for better fuel efficiency.

The powerful engine, without VVT-i, would have been a bigger gas guzzler. There is plenty of power at all rpms; most of it would be sparingly used under normal driving conditions. The Prado would just leave others trailing behind even on the highway; the monster sprints to 100 kmph in just 9.5 seconds and its top speed is 188 kmph. The 5-speed automatic is really soft and features full-time all-wheel drive with transfer modes. The automatic transmission shows no shift lags and is always in the right gear. The central differential distributes power to all wheels, based on the stress exerted on the wheels.

The electronic air suspension employed on the Land Cruiser Prado absorbs anything that comes its way. A double wishbone at the front and a 4-link type suspension with lateral rod at the rear adopts Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension (TEMS) system. This gives the driver an option to switch between high, low and normal modes by means of a switch on the console. The computer for auto dampening in the Prado adjusts air suspension to retain parallel body position immaterial of the surface. The suspension height is also adjusted according to the speed of the vehicle; it lowers the height at high speed and vice-versa. To top it all, the Prado is a fun-to-drive, off-road SUV.

Build & Styling

It is huge, looks sturdy and gorgeous to sweep you off your feet. The Prado is a head turner in the city and leaves others trailing behind on the highway. It has beefy looks, yet is contemporary in design. It has huge wrap-around headlamps; the vertical slats grille is symmetrical with the fog lamps and air dam. The bulged fenders and side dressing give Prado that masculine look. It comes with a wrap-around taillamp on the huge C-pillar.

The rear lift gate also has those gracious curves, giving it a solid, planted feel. The 6-spoke alloy wheels adorn the car and just look striking. The interiors are no less than those of a luxury car; it has spacious seats and room for passengers of all sizes. The dash is nicely designed to provide convenience to the driver; all controls are easy to operate and gauges are easy to read. It is a bit awkward to get in but once you get nestled in the seat, you get a commanding view of road and exemplary feel of the ergonomically designed cockpit. The steering is quite grippy and with a little pressure on the pedal in city limits, you can zip ahead in no time.

All the three rows get AC ducts; distribution of temperature is uniform and individual controls are also available. The engine sounds as quiet as a baby from inside. There is absolutely no vibration inside the cabin. All features on the Prado are standard and it gets top-of-the-line safety features too.