More information has recently emerged about the new-generation Toyota Prado set to be unveiled later this year in Japan. The reputable Japanese magazine, Best Car, speculates that the new model, called the ‘250 Series,’ could debut late next year. However, it is expected to be released in showrooms in April 2024. Best Car claims that the Prado will likely continue to use the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine from the current model. Additionally, the report notes that the new generation Toyota Prado could introduce a new ‘GR Sport’ variant.
There are also reports that Toyota might introduce a hybrid 2.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine from the newly-unveiled Toyota Tacoma pick-up. In the Tacoma, the hybrid engine produces 243 kW and 630 Nm, connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission with a 36 kW electric motor and a 1.87 kWh battery. Other rumors suggest that Toyota could offer a 2.7-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine on entry-level versions in selected markets such as Japan and the Middle East.
Toyota Prado has been one of the most appreciated SUVs globally, and Toyota seems to have made significant changes to the new model. Though the magazine has no details about the car’s interior, it speculates that it could borrow some design cues from the LandCruiser 300 Series. The new model could be larger than the current model, with an increased length of 75 mm to 4900 mm, an increased width of 35 mm to 1920 mm, and an increased height of 10 mm to 1900 mm, as well as a longer wheelbase by 60 mm to 2850 mm.
Furthermore, rumors are making rounds that the new Lexus GX – a luxury version of the Prado – could only offer a hybrid four-cylinder petrol engine or a twin-turbo V6 from the LandCruiser 30 Series. Interestingly, the new Prado could also drop the side-hinged barn door at the rear, a trait the Prado has retained since its launch in Australia in 1996. Toyota seemingly adopted this strategy earlier in the UK, where the current Prado is sold as the LandCruiser.
Production of the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser Prado 250 Series is expected to commence in October 2023, fast approaching the model’s global reveal, before hitting showrooms in April 2024. Ben Zachariah, a renowned writer and motoring journalist from Melbourne, reports that the latest information about the new model signifies the new development, which could make it an exciting prospect for prospective buyers worldwide.
