Said to be one of the most technologically advanced vehicles in the segment, it comes with the easiest-to-maneuver four wheel drive car across the world market. The exterior changes in the 2014 Land Cruiser Prado are pretty evident and 29 years since it was launched, the SUV is now in its fourth-generation and comes with futuristic front fascia which includes bigger grille and new teardrop-shaped headlamps with LED DRLs. Along with these features, Toyota also restyled the fog lamps, revamped tail lamps, new 17 and 18 inch wheel designs and a new number plate surround with larger chrome trim. There are not much styling changes made but Toyota says it strengthens “toughness, reliability and outstanding off-road performance.”
The rear end of the facelifted Toyota Prado has not been rendered with too many modifications; however, the freshness has been added with revised taillights and new license plate garnish. The exterior fit and finish now comes in four new shades of Attitude Black Mica, Bronze Mica Metallic, Dark Green Mica and Dark Blue Mica that adds to the modish nature of this vehicle.
The cabin area of the facelifted Prado has been taken up a notch by enhanced trim which includes piano black, aluminium and wood grain finishes. The seating design is new new with new fabric adorning the second and third rows, as well as new colour schemes accentuating the ambience. A 4.2-inch (colour) screen adorns the instrument cluster and displays a new angle gauge, traction control operation at each wheel and differential lock operation screens amongst others, while a new dial controls the five-mode Multi-terrain Select and five-step Crawl Control systems.
Toyota has altered both the standard suspension and optional electronically-controlled Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) to offer better stability and comfort on the road and added features like a Rear Cross Traffic Alert system in the extensive safety kit that pre-includes features like Pre-Crash Safety, Blind Spot Monitor, Multi-terrain ABS and Active Traction Control.
In the European market, the new Toyota Prado is offered in two engine tunes and the classified large SUV technically competes with the more city-friendly SUVs like the Ford Territory, Captiva 7 and Toyota’s own Kluger. The 4.0-litre V6 petrol engine is one of the engine options and offers output of 282bhp and 385Nm. The engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission which offers an acceleration speed of 10.9 seconds to reach the 100kmph mark from standstill position and attain a top speed of 180km/h. The second option in engine line is 3.0-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine coughing out 190bhp and 420Nm of top torque. The 3.0L engine offers sprint capability of 10.2 seconds for 0-100kmph along with 175kmph top speed. The Indian market expects same engine configuration – the 3.0-litre D-4D turbo diesel engine, which will be tuned to offer more power and torque value when the SUV reaches Indian shores in the middle of 2014.
Story sourced from www.cardekho.com