2025 Toyota Prado GXL given the boot

UPDATE, May 16: Pricing for the five-seat version of the Toyota LandCruiser Prado GXL has been revealed, which is now available to order from $78,990 (plus ORCs). That's a $1000 saving over the seven-seater and means buyers will finally have the option to nab the popular GXL grade with increased cargo capacity.

ORIGINAL, March 24: Toyota Australia has announced it will finally give buyers the option of deleting the third row of seats on the most popular mid-grade 2025 Toyota LandCruiser Prado GXL, matching what’s already offered on the entry GX and flagship Altitude trim grades.

Available to order now with deliveries set for the middle of this year, the new five-seat option addresses criticisms over the seven-seat version’s lack of luggage space – the two-row Toyota Prado is said to offer a huge 945 litres of luggage space behind the second row, or a massive 1895L behind the front seats.

The current seven-seat Prado GXL offers 182L, 906L, and 1829L behind its third-row, second-row and front seats respectively.

In other markets the discrepancy in luggage space between the five-seat version and the Prados with three rows of seating isn’t as large, but Australian-spec versions of the rugged SUV come standard with mild-hybrid tech that is packaged beneath the boot, meaning the third row of seats sit 100mm higher and do not fold flat into the floor space.

Toyota’s solution to create a flat surface is to add a plastic storage box to raise the load floor height to match the folded second-row seatbacks, further hindering practicality.

The five-seat Prado also features an elevated boot floor, but the floor height is not as raised as in the seven-seater.

In the past Toyota responded to criticism from the media and complaints from customers by pointing to the other models in the Prado range that offered five seats, but it’s thought the entry GX didn’t offer enough standard kit while the Altitude had a price too lofty for many, prompting a response from the local outfit.

“We are always looking at ways to enhance our model line-up and are pleased to be able to provide customers with this additional option,” a Toyota Australia spokesperson said in a media statement.

Despite the decision on the new five-seat GXL variant, the higher-grade VX and Kakadu trims of the new Prado remain seven seat only, with the Japanese brand resisting the temptation to offer the two-row option across the range.

Prices have yet to be announced for the new five-seat Prado GXL but the current five-seat GX starts from $72,500 plus on-road costs while the best-selling seven-seat GXL is priced from $79,990 plus on-road costs, suggesting a price in between the two.

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