PRADO PARTY!
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The new Prado 150 Series is one of the most important vehicles in Toyota Australia’s history.
Previous Prado models have built a reputation for reliability and durability throughout the Outback. We needed to see if this latest Prado measured up or if it has just become another 4WD victim of the softer off-roader principle.
As usual, we didn’t go easy on the 150 Series, taking it high onto rough mountain tracks before dropping down to the beach. To make sure the new Prado had an even tougher challenge to meet, we brought along provenexamples from earlier generations.
Not only did the older versions come with tough reputations, they brought with them some even tougher aftermarket gear to really chuck dirt in the face of the newer Prado. The 150 has a lot to prove!
MECHANICALS
The new Prado continues the tradition of V6 petrol and four-cylinder diesel engines. The diesel engine is an evolution of the D4D fitted to the 120 Series, with new injectors and a front-mounted intercooler. These updates have enabled Toyota to reduce fuel consumption from 9.2L/100km to 8.8L (manual) and 9.3L/100km to 8.5L (automatic). The additional saving in the automatic has come from Toyota matching the shift changes of the new five-speed automatic to the engine’s torque curve. Although fuel consumption has improved, there are no gains in power, with it still producing a respectable 127kW and 410Nm.
The latest petrol model is a modified version of the outgoing V6, but it’s been tweaked to include dual VVTi. The ECU can now electronically control the opening timing of the valves on the exhaust as well as the inlet side. This has given an overall increase of 23kW and 38Nm, which provides a very respectable increase of 13% and 11%.
You really feel the power difference on the road. What makes this even more impressive is the fact that the new Prado is bigger and heavier than the 120 Series, but the manual uses 4% and the automatic 12% less fuel per 100km.
Toyota has made a fair amount of noise about the Prado’s development taking place over 100,000km of Aussie roads with 70% of that over unsealed surfaces. This is quite a claim and should ensure that the 150 Series has the guts to meet expectations. However, we don’t rely on marketing blurb, so this was another reason to push our Prado across punishing terrain. Many a 4WD has come up wanting during our tests, so let’s see how the Prado performed.
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Comments
Great writeup and I would have one in in a flash, IF they increase the diesel power, as they lack the power to tow over 3000Kg in the full size vehicle. Surely with all the Toyota resources they could put a V6 CRD with around 160 KW and 500 NM under the bonnet? Others have, in smaller vehicles and have a 3500Kg tow capacity. I have test driven one prior to my current vehicle purchase and they tick all the boxes except power. There are many, many more retired persons and grey nomads with caravans on the road these days and a large percentage have looked at and purchase offroad caravans, which by they time they are loaded are very heavy and require a good tow vehicle. Many are breaking the law and endangering themselves and other motorists by towing caravans heavier than the tow capacity of their Prados. Worth a story in both this and the caravan magazine! Cheers, johnv