More Of The Same

Toyota’s Prado is a strong, capable, body-on-frame mid-size SUV with all the trimmings, for families who don’t want or need the immense Land Cruiser 200 Series in their driveway.

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The fourth-generation J150 has now come in for a mid-life refresh that has ushered in plenty of neat upgrades and changes, but not the one every previous Prado owner has been hoping for.

In other markets, for some time, it’s been gifted the 2.8-litre GD-6 turbodiesel allied to a six-speed automatic transmission; but here, a combination of factors including the low quality of fuel in Africa, the cost or time penalty of changing the catalysts to match said fuel, and the sheer hassle given the volumes that reach SA (still a respectable few hundred each month) mean that (you guessed it) the Prado is still shipped with a five-speed auto and the old 3.0-litre D4-D. It was a wonder at launch in 2005, but its 120kW and 400Nm is now lacking in the fireworks department. A 0-100km/h amble in 11.7 seconds is behind the rivals, and the lack of overtaking grunt, requiring a hustle down through the gears, leads to a few eye-widening moments. It is also available with the 4.0-litre V6 petrol, offering 202kW/381Nm, but with a fuel-bill to match the extra oomph.

That said, for the price, this is probably a segment best-buy for its off-road ability, level of advanced technology on offer, interior quality and space, and reliability. So, what’s new?