Toyota unveils all-new Land Cruiser Prado
TOYOTA Zimbabwe has commissioned an all-new Land Cruiser Prado 250 series, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of the iconic model.
The car is the heir to the Toyota Land Cruiser family, which has made it the darling of many car lovers over the past 70 years.
Land Cruiser Prado has been enhanced with new features to offer optimised offroad and everyday performance, which reaffirms Toyota’s commitment to empowering its customers to travel in complete safety, even in the most difficult conditions.
The new generation Land Cruiser Prado boasts a formidable 1GD engine, a 2,8-litre turbodiesel, delivering an impressive 150kW of power and a robust 500-newton metre (Nm) of torque, which lives up to Toyota’s commitment to making a vehicle that is practical, comfortable, and adapted to the everyday needs of its users.
This powerful engine is paired with the new eight-speed automatic gearbox for an optimum balance between performance and fuel consumption.
One of the major innovations on the new Land Cruiser Prado is its Electric Power Steering (EPS) system.
The new offering comes with a three-year or 100 000km manufacturer’s warranty, whichever comes first to the user.
The vehicle’s starting price is US$87 200 for the all-rounder up to US$116 000 for the top of the range.
“This is the best vehicle for Zimbabwe and Africa, for both on-road and off-road purposes. In terms of the safeties, the car has your downhill assist and uphill assist, crawl control, multi-terrain selection, where you can select the mode depending on the terrain that you are in.
“Your sand, your mud, your rocky areas, all those modes are available in the Land Cruiser Prado,” said Toyota general manager Mr Alexis Triniac on the sidelines of the launch on Friday.
This new model aligns with Toyota’s global commitment to reduce carbon emissions through innovations that comprise reduction of engine capacity from 3-litre engine generations to the new 2,8 engine.
The effort to reduce carbon emissions is complemented by the new gearbox which has 8 gears, 8 speeds supported by three different modes of driving that include Eco, Normal and Sport.
Last year Toyota Zimbabwe reached its historical record by selling more than 2,000 units, giving the company 28 percent of the local market share and its order book continues to grow.
“This Land Cruiser Prado is a much bigger vehicle compared to the previous generation. You can monitor the surroundings around your vehicle which helps in mitigating the risks of accidents because you will be seeing everything around you.
“Our order book for the new car is sitting at about 118 units,” said Toyota National Sales Manager Mr Gift Dzingiso.
Retaining its classic, robust body and chassis architecture, the new Land Cruiser Prado has been developed on the same new (Global Architecture)GA-F platform as the Toyota Land Cruiser 300, enabling the vehicle to offer significantly enhanced all-terrain capabilities.
The new chassis is 50 percent stiffer, while the combined rigidity of the body and chassis has increased by 30 percent, helping to improve responsiveness, handling and driving comfort.
Launched in 1951, the first Land Cruiser was the driving force behind Toyota’s international development, becoming synonymous with reliability, durability, and quality.
It was also the first vehicle to reach the sixth station on the slopes of Mount Fuji in Japan, helping to create its legacy.
Land Cruiser is currently one of the best-selling Toyota models in the world, with over 11,3 million units sold in more than 170 countries.