Vehicle Tested: Toyota Prado 3.0 Diesel VX Auto
If you were ever asked the question, name one of the greatest transformations that has ever taken place, what would your answer be? Some might say Oprah’s dramatic weight loss…before the rapid weight gain. Others might give any person who has been on Extreme Makeover their vote. Me, I say the Toyota Prado.
Toyotas of old were never very stylish, they lacked that ‘desirable’ factor, and you bought a Toyota because it was a Toyota. You knew it would never let you down, and for that piece of mind alone, the Toyota badge was worth it.
Sadly though, while Toyota’s rivals were working on crumple zones and other safety features, Toyota seemed to be happy with the idea that in the event of an accident, the area between your eyes would absorb the impact when your head bashed into the steering wheel.
How the times have changed though. I honestly believe that there are now sexy, safe, pretty, elegant, practical, sophisticated and event sporty Toyotas in the range. The new Prado covers at least three of those areas and gets the great big ‘desirable’ label.
Now for why I think the transformation the Prado underwent from the previous generation Prado to the new one is even greater than Oprah’s blubber-battle.
Over and above being the traditional off roader that you’ve come to love from Toyota, the new generation Prado has been laced with electronic gizmos.
Starting on the outside, the Prado retains its butch looks and stance. Toyota have nipped a bit here and tucked a bit there and even though they have done away with the body cladding that gave the Prado it’s ‘curves’ and have incorporated them into the body this time, it is still unmistakably a Toyota Prado.
This is all good and well, but where the Prado really makes you pay attention is on the inside.
The first thing that greats you is the great big manly steering wheel, covered in buttons! The second thing, and it almost scares you, is all the buttons everywhere else. One of the greatest bits of kit in the new Prado is the Multi-terrain Monitoring System. In simple terms, there are four cameras positioned around the vehicle. One is found under the Toyota emblem on the front grille, one on the spare wheel cover, and two under each rear view mirror. These images are fed to the screen mounted in the dash and give you an all round view of the vehicle. This eliminates the guessing game when it comes to how far you are from the curb, whether you will fit on that rickety wooden bridge when going off the beaten track, and helps make sure you don’t reverse over pedestrians in town and so on.
There are so many other toys such as the electronically folding third row of seats and a 6 DVD entertainment system, but sadly to list them all, I’ll need more than just this newspaper, so I won’t.
The Prado is powered by the same 3.0 diesel engine that you find in the Hilux producing 120 kW and 400 Nm.
The Prado has KDSS suspension which is a system that can firm up or dampen the suspension as need be. Let me explain. There is fluid that runs through pipes along the chassis to hydraulic cylinders positioned on the front and rear stabilizers. Think of it as a circuit. Attached to this circuit are two accumulators which can permit or restrict the flow of the liquid. When cornering or in ‘sports’ mode, the accumulators don’t allow the liquid to move, which firms up the ride and helps prevent body roll. On the beaten track, the system allows the liquid to flow which helps absorb bumps and jolts. When it comes to serious off-roading, this system ensures that the wheels remain in constant contact with whatever surface you may be travelling on. Safety wise, the Prado has ABS, EBD, Brake Assist and Stability Control. There are 7 airbags, and one of them just for the driver’s knee. If you think about it, if they’ve even worried about your knees, you are almost guarantee that your face will be safe too.
I like the new Prado, I really do, and the more time I spend with it, the more convinced I am that the transformation the Prado underwent from the previous generation to the new generation is one of the greatest transformations I have ever seen.
If you were ever asked the question, name one of the greatest transformations that has ever taken place, what would your answer be? Some might say Oprah’s dramatic weight loss…before the rapid weight gain. Others might give any person who has been on Extreme Makeover their vote. Me, I say the Toyota Prado.
Toyotas of old were never very stylish, they lacked that ‘desirable’ factor, and you bought a Toyota because it was a Toyota. You knew it would never let you down, and for that piece of mind alone, the Toyota badge was worth it.
Sadly though, while Toyota’s rivals were working on crumple zones and other safety features, Toyota seemed to be happy with the idea that in the event of an accident, the area between your eyes would absorb the impact when your head bashed into the steering wheel.
How the times have changed though. I honestly believe that there are now sexy, safe, pretty, elegant, practical, sophisticated and event sporty Toyotas in the range. The new Prado covers at least three of those areas and gets the great big ‘desirable’ label.
Now for why I think the transformation the Prado underwent from the previous generation Prado to the new one is even greater than Oprah’s blubber-battle.
Over and above being the traditional off roader that you’ve come to love from Toyota, the new generation Prado has been laced with electronic gizmos.
Starting on the outside, the Prado retains its butch looks and stance. Toyota have nipped a bit here and tucked a bit there and even though they have done away with the body cladding that gave the Prado it’s ‘curves’ and have incorporated them into the body this time, it is still unmistakably a Toyota Prado.This is all good and well, but where the Prado really makes you pay attention is on the inside.
The first thing that greats you is the great big manly steering wheel, covered in buttons! The second thing, and it almost scares you, is all the buttons everywhere else. One of the greatest bits of kit in the new Prado is the Multi-terrain Monitoring System. In simple terms, there are four cameras positioned around the vehicle. One is found under the Toyota emblem on the front grille, one on the spare wheel cover, and two under each rear view mirror. These images are fed to the screen mounted in the dash and give you an all round view of the vehicle. This eliminates the guessing game when it comes to how far you are from the curb, whether you will fit on that rickety wooden bridge when going off the beaten track, and helps make sure you don’t reverse over pedestrians in town and so on.
There are so many other toys such as the electronically folding third row of seats and a 6 DVD entertainment system, but sadly to list them all, I’ll need more than just this newspaper, so I won’t.
The Prado is powered by the same 3.0 diesel engine that you find in the Hilux producing 120 kW and 400 Nm.
The Prado has KDSS suspension which is a system that can firm up or dampen the suspension as need be. Let me explain. There is fluid that runs through pipes along the chassis to hydraulic cylinders positioned on the front and rear stabilizers. Think of it as a circuit. Attached to this circuit are two accumulators which can permit or restrict the flow of the liquid. When cornering or in ‘sports’ mode, the accumulators don’t allow the liquid to move, which firms up the ride and helps prevent body roll. On the beaten track, the system allows the liquid to flow which helps absorb bumps and jolts. When it comes to serious off-roading, this system ensures that the wheels remain in constant contact with whatever surface you may be travelling on. Safety wise, the Prado has ABS, EBD, Brake Assist and Stability Control. There are 7 airbags, and one of them just for the driver’s knee. If you think about it, if they’ve even worried about your knees, you are almost guarantee that your face will be safe too.
I like the new Prado, I really do, and the more time I spend with it, the more convinced I am that the transformation the Prado underwent from the previous generation to the new generation is one of the greatest transformations I have ever seen.
P.S. Please excuse the photos, my Laptop went on the blink, so I am currently without Photoshop.
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