Browse over 9,000 car reviews

Trending News

Prado powers in! 2024 LandCruiser Prado arrives in Australia as countdown to launch kicks off

The new Toyota LandCruiser Prado has arrived in Australia (image: Facebook)

The new Toyota LandCruiser Prado has officially arrived in Australia as the countdown to the hotly anticipated model continues.

Spotted wrapped in camouflage, it would appear the brand is keen to disguise its arrival (despite being launched internationally), but its presence in Australia will delight those already in the queue.

The photo was reportedly taken in Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory, suggesting hot-weather testing has been taking place. Of course, it could simply have been en route elsewhere.

As previously revealed by CarsGuide, the new Prado will arrive in Australia in five model grades starting from GX and moving through GXL, VX, Altitude and Kakadu. The brand is yet to confirm pricing.

Initially, each grade gets the same powertrain – a HiLux-derived 2.8-litre turbodiesel with 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance good for 150kW and 500Nm – but Toyota in Australia also says the petrol-hybrid will arrive "sooner rather than later".

That would be Toyota's i-Force Max powertrain, which links a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol engine with a 36kW electric motor integrated into an eight-speed transmission to pump out a total 243kW and 630Nm.

"We don't have a date, we are investigating the potential of whether that powertrain is suitable for our market. It's part of our overall decarbonisation and multi-pathway strategy. It would be an outstandingly good attribute to our product line-up," Toyota Australia's VP of Sales and Marketing, Sean Hanley, told CarsGuide.

"Speculatively, we would rather do it sooner rather than later, but we don't have a date."

We're starting to get a clear picture of what the Prado will offer in Australia, with government filings revealing five- and seven-seat versions delivering a payload of around 650kg, and there will be a choice of 18- or 20-inch wheels, and 220mm of ground clearance.

The tech offering is on-point, too. There will be a 12.3-inch multimedia screen, a smaller 7.0-inch digital information screen for the driver, and the availability of seat heating and ventilation, wireless charging and a fully digital driver display.

A new and off-road-focused Altitude variant joins the Prado family for the first time, too. The five-seat model pairs 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain tyres with a locking rear differential and a new sway-bar disconnect feature that allows for increased wheel articulation.

The all-new Prado is schedule to launch in the second half of 2024.

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold. But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul. And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard. When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House. But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others. More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
About Author
Trending News

Comments