SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8
Pics by Toyota@Motorpress
Posted: 25 March 2018
The numbers
Price: R969 600
Engine: Toyota 1KD-FTV, 2982 cc, inline four, DOHC, 16-valve commonrail diesel with VNT
Power: 120 kW at 3400 rpm
Torque: 400 Nm between 1600 and 2800 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11.7 seconds
Maximum speed: 175 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 10.8 l/100 km
Tanks: 87 plus 63 litres
Luggage: 120 – 480 - 1833 litres (VDA)
Ground clearance: 215 mm
Approach/Departure/Breakover angles: 31.0/25.0/22.0 degrees
Maximum wading depth: 700 mm
Tare: 2430 kg
GVM: 2990 kg
GCM: 5490 kg
Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km
Service plan: 5 years/90 000 km at 10 000 km intervals Snow Moguls. See text
Despite two areas of concern, this new Prado has a lot going for it. There’s a huge toy boxful of kit too.
It’s traditionally built on a chassis, has permanent all-wheel drive with low range, the centre and rear differentials can be locked independently, it offers five-way terrain control (MTS), there’s self-levelling with height control (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension or KDSS) and its all-steel underpinnings, double wishbones in front and multilink at the back, include Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS).
That means it uses sensors and microprocessors to monitor the surface in real time while a computer analyses data and adjusts shocks accordingly. There are three settings; Comfort, Normal and Sport. The Comfort setting does a good job of smoothing both harsh impacts and annoying vibrations set up by small, embedded stones or washboard surfaces. We mentioned them in our 2016 report on the 2.8GD Fortuner. Thankfully this setup means you won’t need to consider buying expensive, aftermarket shocks for your Prado. Normal and Sport explain themselves.
KDSS, on the other hand, was invented and developed by Kinetic Pty Ltd, a small Western Australian company. It adjusts front and rear stabilisers via fluid reservoirs, hydraulic piping interconnections and a control unit. Its everyday job is to jack up the rear end slightly when carrying heavy loads and, in off-road conditions, compensate when it senses that a wheel has dropped lower than usual.
It also allows you to either raise the suspension by 40 mm for increased clearance or lower the rear end by 20 mm to facilitate loading. Lift mode switches off at 50 km/h and load mode disengages at 12 km/h.
Sand dune fans will appreciate Second Start. This confusing label has nothing to do with new beginnings after a personal disaster, but rather that the autobox will be instructed to use second gear for takeoff. The reduced torque, compared with using first, makes the wheels less likely to dig in and bog down.
Our top-of-range VX-L test car boasted a boatload of up-market features including the AVS, KDSS and locking rear diff mentioned earlier; LED headlamps with automatic high beams; headlamp washers; automatic light levelling; satnav; surround cameras; rain sensing wipers; powered raising and stowage of the jump seats, warmed front and second row seats; pre-crash readying with pedestrian detection; blind spot monitoring and cross traffic alert; tyre pressure monitoring; adaptive cruise control and lane keeping. Tyres at this level are 265/60R18 Bridgestone Dueller.
At entry-level TX trim (diesel-only) provides push-button starting; LED front and rear fog lamps; automatic headlights and air conditioning; heated and retractable side mirrors; a cooler box under the central armrest; leather upholstery; seven airbags; rear park distance control; ABS brakes with all the add-ons; trailer sway control; hill start and downhill assist. Tyres are 265/65R17; reassuring if you go off-road a lot.
The inner ambience is of big space including fore-and-aft adjustment for second row seats, jump seats that can accommodate adults, wider-than-usual front chairs for those broader of beam, grab handles for all ‘outer’ passengers, climb-in handles at every door, big windows to watch game through, three courtesy lights and lots of storage. Both front chairs are powered, with two memory settings for the driver. Making city driving easier than expected, its turning circle is only 11.6 metres – wide for a Corolla perhaps, but like nothing for a big SUV.
Our Tenderfoot Trail is not exactly for sissies, but was obviously no challenge for the Prado. We liked the big, wide front fenders that made “aiming” easy and, again, the large side windows are made for bush driving. While exploring the great outdoors we wondered what the Mogul setting on the Multi Terrain Select (MTS) dial was all about. We eventually discovered that moguls are hard mounds of snow on ski slopes, suggesting that mogul roads are lumpy and uneven.
Only two things prevent the VX-L version of Toyota’s 2018 Land Cruiser Prado being almost perfect - its 3.0-litre diesel engine and its five-speed automatic transmission. South Africa and India appear to be the only markets still offering this combination despite almost universal introduction of the new and more powerful 2.8 GD engine and improved six-speed gearbox in 2015.
Even our local Hiluxes and Fortuners have them and, when you’re spending very close to a million Rand, you probably don’t want the less powerful engine and old gearbox.
Test unit from Toyota SA press fleet
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.
If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles. And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.
Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.
This site is operated by Scarlet Pumpkin Communications in Pietermaritzburg.
Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are courtesy of www.quickpic.co.za
Copyright this business. All rights reserved.
SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8