Toyota Prado vs Cupra Ateca

What's the difference?

The Kakadu treatment adds a welcome prestige to the Prado which is already a functional, comfortable daily driver and a very capable 4WD tourer as is.

It's reliably effective off-road and though it lacks the over-the-top macho appeal of something like the 70 Series LandCruiser, it still makes a very appealing platform as a touring vehicle. But this flat-tailgate Kakadu, minus the extra fuel capacity of a Prado with the tailgate-mounted spare, loses tourer appeal due to that fact.

If you choose to opt for a lower-spec Prado you'll forgo some nice Kakadu features – such as KDSS – but it'll still be a Prado after all. Money saved can be spent on aftermarket gear to fit out your new adventure machine.

Or you can wait in line with everyone else for the 2024 Prado...

It's a racetrack taste test rather than a comprehensive road drive, but there's plenty to like about the Cupra Ateca, which fulfils its brief of injecting a little driving fun into the SUV space. The only question is whether its sportiness will be too sporty for your day-to-day, but for that, you'll have to wait and see.

CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The flat tailgate Kakadu is 4825mm long (4995mm with tyre mounted on the tailgate), 1885mm wide, 1880mm high, and it has a kerb weight of 2290kg (2350kg for the standard Prado).

The 2024 Prado – or the 250 Series as it's known in other markets – has an identical wheelbase to the 300 Series (2850mm), so it's 60mm longer than the current model's. 

That next-generation Prado will reportedly measure 4925mm long, 1980mm wide and 1870mm high, so it's 100mm longer, 95mm wider and 20mm taller than the current Prado.

As mentioned, our test Prado's flat tailgate pack cuts fuel capacity from 150 litres to 87 litres, which results in a substantial drop in driving range. So, it'll factor heavily in the buying decision, especially if the potential owner is keen on off-road touring.

The current Prado's design is less blocky than previous iterations but retains a recognisable Prado chunkiness. If you like your SUVs even more streamlined, but with a healthy dose of retro, you'll have to wait for the 2024 Prado.

Cupra talks about its born-in-Barcelona design inspiration, but you can still see plenty of VW in the Ateca's side profile. But that's no bad thing, with the Cupra managing to look both polished and performance focused, but without looking like it's trying too hard.

The big change is in the front-end treatment, with a smaller centre grille that houses the Cupra badge (which looks a bit like a fox, and a bit like the Decepticon badge from Transformers, but which was actually "modelled on the attitude of tribal civilisations.")

The cool DRL designs, the two-tonne bronzed alloys and the quad exhaust tips all point a pretty strong picture of performance here, and for mine, the Ateca cuts a handsome figure.

Inside, though, it definitely feels a little less premium than modern VW products, with a greater use of hard plastics, and last-gen air-con and media controls, which – if you've driven the new Golf, for example – feel a little old-school by comparison.

The Prado's interior has a comforting familiarity about it. Sure, it feels a bit dated, but I like it. It's plush, functional and very comfortable.

The front seats are heated, ventilated and power-adjustable and the driver and front passenger have easy access to the 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, which is simple enough to operate.

There's also the usual complement of cupholders (two in front of the centre console) and USB charge points, as well as the refrigerated cool box that replaces the centre console.

The Kakadu has three-zone climate control so everyone has a hand in how toasty or chilled they are during road trips.

Floor mats in the Kakadu are carpet, not the all-weather rubber mats you get in lower-spec Prados.

The second-row is a 40/20/40 sliding split and the outer seats are heated. Second-row passengers get directional air vents, fan and temp controls, seat-heating controls, 12V point (all in the rear of the centre console), and a fold-down centre armrest with built-in dual cupholder.

The second-row seats have three top-tether points and two ISOFIX locations.

There are mesh map pockets on the driver and front passenger seat-backs.

The third-row seats – in a 50/50 split fold-flat configuration – are button-operated and power-folding. Passengers have a cupholder each, as well as air vents and a speaker mounted nearby. They also have a clear view of the 9.0-inch ceiling-mounted DVD screen.

With the third-row seats in use, boot space is listed as 104 litres.

If not in use, the rear-most seats can be power-folded away at the press of a button and the area used for luggage, concealed by a retractable cargo blind. With the third row stowed away, there's a claimed 553 litres of cargo space.

With the second and third rows folded down and out of the way, there's a claimed 974 litres available.

For reference, the 2024 Prado will have a 12.3-inch multimedia system (including wireless Apple CarPlay), as well as seating for five or seven passengers.

The Ateca measures 4386mm in length, 1599mm in height and 1841mm in width, and there is some 485 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place, and a substantial 1579 litres with the back pews folded flat.

It's a strong back-seat story here, too, with ample leg and headroom, individual device charging ports, and a pull-down seat divider that houses two cupholders.

There are two more upfront, as well as storage in every door, along with the ISOFIX attachment points in each window seat in the back.

Now it must be said that our test was conducted on a racetrack, with limited laps, no on-road driving, and no chance to fill the vehicle with passengers or baggage, so for a full practicality play-by-play, you'll have to wait until we get the Ateca through the CarsGuide office for a more comprehensive test.

Cupra describes itself as an "unconventional challenger brand", and it essentially sits below the mainstream VW line-up, with cheaper pricing and a focus on fun over finery.

So the Ateca – which is about the same size and offers similar outputs to the Tiguan R – lists at $60,990, or $65,990 drive-away, which is significantly cheaper than the VW product, which lists at $68,990 before on-road costs, or – according to Volkswagen's website – $77,279 drive-away for a NSW shopper.

Interestingly, Cupra has launched an agency model in Australia, which means you buy the vehicles from the brand itself, with the transition occurring online and for a fixed price with no negotiation, rather than from a dealer.

The Ateca might not deliver quite the same grunt as VW's R product, but that's a significant saving. Oh, and metallic paint is free, too – as is servicing for the first three years – which means more savings.

So what do you get? The Ateca arrives in a single VZx trim level, and outside you'll find 19-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting front and rear, roof rails, a powered boot, quad exhaust exits, auto headlights and keyless entry and start.

Inside, there's three-zone climate, blue leather-wrapped sports seats that are heated in the front, wireless charging for your devices and ambient interior lighting.

You're well served for tech, too, with the VW Group's 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit, a 9.2-inch centre screen with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that works wirelessly as well as when you plug in, a nine-speaker (plus sub) Beats sound system, as well as Dynamic Chassis Control and custom driving modes - including full-attack Cupra mode.

The Kakadu has a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine – producing 150kW at 3000-3400rpm and 500Nm at 1600-2800rpm – and that's matched with a six-speed automatic transmission.

This is a solid not dynamic combination, which is fine with me because it yields a drive experience that's equal parts relaxed, assured and undemanding.

Our test Prado has a full-time four-wheel drive system with high- and low-range.

Note: the Prado has a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and issues linked to those systems have been well documented, so head to our Toyota Prado problems page to stay up to date with any DPF details.

The next-generation Prado will feature five powertrains globally, however, Australia will only get a 48-volt mild-hybrid version of the current model's 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (150kW and 500Nm), with identical power and torque outputs as the existing engine.

The new hybrid engine will be matched to a new eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.

It will have full-time all-wheel drive, a low-range transfer case, a centre diff lock, a electronic locking rear diff and a button-operated swaybar disconnect system – not Toyota's KDSS – aimed at yielding improved wheel travel while off-roading.

Right, so the Ateca's 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine produces 221kW and 400Nm, which is slightly less than the 235kW and 400Nm generated by the new Tiguan R.

But the Cupra is faster, knocking off the sprint to 100km/h in 4.9secs compared to the VW's  5.1secs – and it feels plenty quick from the driver's seat with your foot pinned to the floor.

That power is fed through a seven-speed DSG, with AWD standard fit on the Ateca.  

The Prado has an offical fuel consumption figure of 7.9L/100km (on a combined cycle).

I recorded 13.4L/100km on this test. I did a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing – but the Prado never seemed to have to work hard.

It has 87L fuel tank capacity – that's 63 litres less than any Prado that does not have the flat tailgate, and going by our on-test fuel-consumption figure you could reasonably expect a full-tank driving range of about 650km.

The Prado with the rear-mounted spare has a 150-litre tank so, based on my fuel figures, you could reasonably expect about 1120km from a full tank.

Cupra is yet to reveal official fuel figures for the Ateca in Australia, but international guides claim an 8.9-9.5L/100km figure on the WLTP cycle.

That's not a small number, and it's one that will no doubt be made worse if you drive it the way you're almost certainly going to drive it, but such is the price of performance.

The Ateca will also demand 98RON fuel, which will sting at the bowser, too.

The Kakadu is an easy-driving and very comfortable 4WD wagon.

It's quiet inside the Prado with most external noise kept to a muffled hum.

Steering has a nice weight to it, although it can feel a bit floaty if you're used to a more tightly controlled vehicle. The driver can dial-in their position as the steering wheel is electric tilt-and-telescopic adjustable.

The Kakadu has a 11.6m turning circle and feels nimble along crowded streets and in busy regional centres.

The 2.8 litre turbo-diesel engine and transmission pairing is an unhurried, almost sluggish combination, yielding a relaxed drive experience, but acceleration is gutsy enough to punch the Prado off the mark and get it moving at pace to overtake when needed.

Brakes – ventilated discs at each corner – were able to bring the 2.3 tonne Prado to a rapid controlled stop every time I stomped them into submission during my patented ‘Watch out for that kangaroo!' emergency-braking tests on dry and wet bitumen.

One of the Kakadu's major points of difference with lower-spec Prados is that it has Toyota's 'Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System' (KDSS), which helps iron out most ride and handling irregularities.

KDSS hydraulically alters tension on the sway bars to suit the terrain; on-road, it tightens them for reduced body roll and more dynamic handling, and off-road it loosens them for greater wheel travel to further improve performance.

The Kakadu also has adaptive variable suspension which can be set to one of three modes ('Comfort', 'Normal' or 'Sport') via an in-cabin switch to help dial-in smooth and well-sorted ride and handling; and its height-adjustable rear air suspension with switchable low, normal or high modes.

The Kakadu's Dunlop Grandtrek AT30 tyres (265/55 R19) are well-suited to on-road driving, but fall a bit short, performance-wise, when 4WDing.

On the loose-gravel dirt track that leads to my unofficial 4WD testing ground, the route had been gouged by deep ruts from recent rains. The Kakadu managed it all well.

And a lot of the credit of that controlled ride and handling is due to KDSS, loosening swaybars to suit the terrain, allowing axles full-stretch articulation as required.

And that's very handy at low speeds when sustaining safe and controlled momentum via maximised traction is the goal.

And this was even more evident when I tackled my favourite set-piece rocky hill-climbs.

The Kakadu trucked over the undulating ground at low revs and with wheels dipping and rising as they stuck to the dirt. Wheel travel in a standard Prado is fine but the KDSS-equipped Kakadu gets even more flex on the move.

It conquered everything with impressive ease, only ever scrambling momentarily for grip because of its tyres.

Swap those with a decent set of all-terrains and you'd instantly make a great off-roader even better.

Steering retains a nice balance at low speeds, throttle response is good (not touchy over bumpy terrain), the driver has plenty of visibility (crucial for low-range highly technical 4WDing that relies so heavily on choosing the correct line) and the Kakadu's dimensions offer off-road angles – of 30.4 degrees (approach), 21.2 (ramp-over) and 23.5 (departure) – that are good for a cityfied SUV wagon.

The Kakadu has plenty of torque across a wide rev range, and front, centre and rear locking differentials.

It also has a raft of driver-assist tech, including crawl control (low-speed low-range cruise control/traction control with five selectable speeds), and 'Multi-Terrain Select' (with off-road driving modes that adjust steering, throttle and traction control to suit the terrain you're on, e.g. rock and dirt, mud and sand etc).

Towing capacity is 750kg (unbraked) and 3000kg (braked).

The Kakadu has a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 2990kg and a GCM (gross combined mass) of 5990kg.

For reference, towing capacity on the 2024 Prado is tipped to be 3500kg (braked), but, at time of writing, this was unconfirmed.

Choosing to launch your new SUV on one of Australia's fastest racetracks shows either supreme confidence or bewildering foolhardiness, but in this instance, it was also a necessity.

See, Cupra is mere months away from official launch now, with orders for launch editions to open in May, and the only vehicles the brand could secure for its media preview were brought in from New Zealand, and unable to be driven on public roads.

And so Sydney Motorsport Park would play host to our first experience behind the wheel of the Ateca, and after only a handful of flying laps it was beginning to feel like a masterstroke.

This is not your average family SUV, and any vehicle in which you can drop the kids at school before clipping 200km/h-plus down the main straight of your closest race track is something to be celebrated.

The downside is that it's next to impossible to tell you what the Ateca is going to be like on your local streets, or whether the sporty suspension is going to be firm enough to shake the hairs loose from your head should encounter some questionable road surfaces.

But I can safely report that the power is prodigious, the steering smooth and confidence inspiring, and the AWD grip impressive in both tight and high-speed bends.

But perhaps the most surprising thing about the Ateca is its ability to feel both planted and agile in dynamic driving situations, with the SUV feeling altogether more stable than the smaller Cupra Leon, and hanging onto the tarmac in corners with more tenacity than the 140kW Cupra Formentor.

On first blush, engagement and enthusiasm are standard fit here, and that's likely no bad thing no matter what your daily commute looks like.

The Cupra Ateca arrives with a swag bag of advanced safety kit – helped, no doubt, by only launching with one top-tier model – as well as the expected stuff like airbags (there are seven), and the traction and braking aids.

Expect active cruise control, AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, side and exit assist systems, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree parking camera.

On the road, functions like Lane Assist will help keep you between the lines, Travel Assist provides freeway autonomy, while a fatigue monitor will tell you if you're getting tired behind the wheel.

The Cupra Ateca is yet to be ANCAP crash tested.

The Prado has a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is the mainstream market standard.

Maintenance is scheduled for every six months or 10,000km, which is more frequent than the more common 12 months/15,000km.

Every new Prado comes with capped price servicing of $260 per service up to the three-year mark, for a total of $1560 over three years.

Cupra are trying to minimise the stress here, so the Ateca wears a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with three years of complementary servicing built into the purchase price, with five-year packs also available to purchase.