Toyota has unveiled the 2014 Land Cruiser Prado. The current version of the Land Cruiser Prado was launched in 2009 and has remained almost the same since then. There are changes not so significant to a phase change even after so many years. However, the facelifted Prado gets a newly done front fascia with a new front bumper and updated LED headlights. The Land Cruiser Prado forms the basis of the Lexus GX 460, the 2014 model of which was recently revealed sporting the spindle-shaped grille design.
The headlamp cluster of the updated Toyota Prado now fuses on to the grille and seems like a single unit. The grille and the two headlamps on either side almost look like a bird with its wings flanked. The older fog light unit has gone for a toss and so is the front bumper. The new bumper design curves towards the inside. The side profile is more or less similar to the current model of the Prado. The rear end now features a bigger tail light unit and an even bigger chrome strip with Land Cruiser engraved on it. Proportionally, the area under the chrome strip enclosing the number plate also gets slightly refreshed.
On the inside, changes have been made to the centre console with a new driving control switch panel, new Optitron meter design and a 4.2-inch TFT multi-information colour display. The seat design has been improved too and new fabric is now used on them. The old engines continue to do duty on the new Prado, using a 4.0-litre, 271 BHP V6 petrol unit and a 3.0-litre, D4-D diesel engine which produces 170 BHP of power. On the safety front, Toyota has added a trailer sway control and emergency brake signal.
The 2014 Toyota Prado will continue to be a CBU in our country. The current Prado is priced at Rs. 97.82 lakhs (on-road, Mumbai) which is way too expensive for what it’s worth. The Prado is offered in only one variant in India, VX and is loaded with the best bit of features Toyota can offer. The Land Cruiser Prado is powered by a 3.0-litre diesel engine in India. This oil burner pumps out 173 PS of power at 3400 RPM and 410 Nm of torque between 1600-2800 RPM. Power is channelled to all wheels and cogs are swapped by a 5-speed automatic gearbox. At 3.0 tonnes weight, the Prado is quite a heavy vehicle but it comes with the assurance of Toyota quality and go anywhere capability.
