Toyota Prado - The Empire Strikes Back.

Like a politician, Toyota has made a new grab for the middle ground of four wheel drive with the release of the Toyota Prado (July 1996). The Prado issues a head-on 4x4 challenge to the likes of Isuzu General Motors Jackaroo, Jeep Cherokee, Land Rover Discovery and Mitsubishi Pajero.

The Prado supersedes the Toyota 4Runner. The 4Runner grew out of the Toyota Hilux, originally a utility four wheel drive. Consequently the 4Runner always looked like a mongrel although it acquired various comforts such as independent front suspension and rear coil springs.

The Prado continues the 4Runner heritage of double wishbone coil-spring front suspension and multi-link coil-spring rear suspension. The new 4-door body is a far more integrated design than the 4Runner ever was, cleverly resembling both the bigger 80-series LandCruiser and the smaller RAV4. It is not exactly attractive, particularly the nose with the Jeep Grand Cherokee-style grille, but it will serve. No less than eight people can be fitted in, provided that they do not have much baggage. (It makes one wonder if there is not now an over large gap between the RAV4 and the Prado.)

Two engines are offered - a 3.4L V6 with twin cam-shafts per bank of cylinders and a 2.7L 4-cylinder twin cam with balance shafts to smooth out vibrations. The V6 delivers 132 at 4800 and 303 at 3600. The 4-cylinder delivers 112 at 4800 and 240 at 4000 (Toyota's figures). Interestingly there is no diesel - give them time. There is a choice of 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmissions and all Prados have 2-speed transfer cases with full-time four wheel drive. A rear limited slip differential is standard.

The list of safety equipment makes interesting reading. Front seat belt pretensioners are standard, and twin airbags and ABS brakes are optional extras (standard on the VX Grande). Four ventilated discs do the stopping. (ABS brakes are strongly recommended on any automatic four wheel drive.)

Toyota is also making a great deal of the fact that the Prado has a "proper" 4WD ladder chassis that has been engineered to satisfy forthcoming crash tests; they forgot to mention that the 1994 Range Rover had been there and done that first.

Fuel capacity is impressive: 90L on the base RV model and no less than 159L on other Toyota Prados.

It will be interesting to see if a short wheel base model is forthcoming:-)

URL: /4WD.html

Toyota LandCruiser 90 Prado 1996

• Toyota Prado RV6:
• station wagon, 5 seats (+3), 4 doors, ABS + twin air-bag option
• loa: 4730mm, width: 1730mm, height: 1865mm track: 1475mm/1480mm, grnd clearance: 230mm
• turning radius: 5.7m (kerb)
• weight: 1805kg (unladen), GVM: 2710kg, towing: 750kg (unbraked)
• 5VZ-FE, 3378cc, petrol, V6, efi, 4-valves/cyl, DOHC (per bank)
• bore: 93.5mm, stroke: 82mm, c.r.: 9.6:1
• transmission: 5m/4a, full-time 4WD, centre diff' lock
  gear ratios 5m: 3.830:1, 2.062:1, 1.436:1, 1.000:1, 0.838:1 (4.22:1)
  gear ratios 4a: 2.804:1, 1.531:1, 1.000:1, 0.753:1 (2.393:1)
  transfer case: 1:1 (hi), 2.566:1 (lo); diff': 4.1:1 (rear LSD)
• suspension: indep'-coil/live-coil, brakes: disc/disc
• tyres: 215-80R16, fuel-tank: 90L + 69L
• price from 40K

• RV (base model):
• station wagon, 5 seats, 4 doors, ABS + twin air-bag option
• weight: 1720 - 1730kg
• 3RZ-FE, 2694cc, petrol, 4-cyl, efi, 4-valves/cyl, DOHC
• bore: 95.0mm, stroke: 95.0mm, c.r.: 9.5:1
• transmission: 5m/4a, full-time 4WD
  diff': 4.3:1 (rear LSD)
• tyres: 215-80R16, fuel tank: 90L
• price from 37K ...

• GXL and VX Grande (top of range)
• station wagon, 5 + 2 seats, 4 doors
  
• GXL: ABS + twin air bag optional; VX Grande: ABS + twin airbags std
• width: 1820mm, height: 1880mm,
• track: 1505mm/1510mm, ground clearnace 245mm
• weight: 1838 - 1876kg
• 3.4L V6 engine, transmission 5m/4a (VX Grande 4a only)
• tyres: 265-70R16, wheels GXL 7Jx16 steel, VX Grande 7JJx16 alloy
• price from 47K - 54K

See also:

• current Prado & 1997-1998 and Toyota pages
• Contemporary Competitors: Isuzu General Motors Jackaroo, Jeep Cherokee, Land Rover Discovery, Mitsubishi Pajero