It would be fair to say that the Toyota Land Cruiser is as iconic as the original Land Rover, especially as they both arrived around the same time and were developed from wartime experience.
In 1950, the Korean War created a demand for a military light utility vehicle. The U.S. government ordered 100 vehicles with the then-new Willys specifications and tasked Toyota to manufacture them. The Toyota “Jeep” BJ prototype was developed in January 1951.
In July 1951, Toyota’s test driver Ichiro Taira drove the next generation of the Jeep BJ prototype up to the sixth stage of Mount Fuji, the first vehicle to climb that height. The test was overseen by the National Police Agency. Impressed by this feat, the NPA quickly placed an order for 289 of these off-road vehicles, making the Jeep BJ their official patrol car. The legend was born.
Over the following decades, the Land Cruiser concept remained steadfastly rugged and practical, with few concessions to luxury but, as is the case with so many vehicles that have had long production lives, demand for ever more luxury and comfort dictated the development path of the Land Cruiser, although practicality was never compromised. This has led to the latest and much-anticipated version about to be launched onto the South African market, the brand new Land Cruiser Prado, featuring all of the traditional Land Cruiser DNA, combined with new technology to deliver higher levels of performance and comfort, both on- and off-road.
The new Land Cruiser Prado is powered by a 150kW, 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine matched to a new eight-speed Direct Shift automatic transmission, giving the power and drive to pull loads of up to 3,500kg.
There are three variants of the basic platform. The TX sets a solid foundation, featuring a fully leather-upholstered cabin, heated front seats, a heads-up display and a wireless charging station.
The VX-R adds a digital rearview mirror and a larger infotainment screen, while the top-of-the-range First Editions are available in limited numbers and feature classic round headlamps in place of the rectangular shape found on the other models.
Pricing is as follows:
Prado 2.8GD TX – R1 296 300
Prado 2.8GD VX-R – R1 448 900
Prado 2.8GD 1st Edition – R1 462 400
Prado 2.8GD 1st Edition Bi-Tone – R1 472 600
For more information, visit www.toyota.co.za
