New Toyota Prado to launch within a year

New reports out of Japan suggest the next-generation Toyota Prado will be revealed in the third quarter of next year – and that the replacement for Australia’s favourite large SUV will be available with both turbo-diesel hybrid and several force-fed petrol powertrains.

According to Japanese media outlet Best Car, the new TNGA-F ladder frame-based off-roader’s long-awaited diesel-hybrid powertrain will combine the familiar 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder with a pair of electric motors drawing current from a small-capacity lithium-ion battery.

If that eventuates, the set-up will likely be similar to the dual-motor arrangement in all-wheel drive Toyota RAV4 Hybrid variants, except the Prado’s hybrid system will be diesel (not petrol) based and equipped with a traditional torque converter automatic transmission rather than a CVT.

Odds are that the auto will be Toyota’s latest six, eight- or even 10-speed unit (the latter from the 300 Series LandCruiser), once again hooked up to a two-speed transfer case to allow for low-range off-roading.

There’s no word yet on how much power or torque the new diesel-electric system will produce, but it’d be safe to assume it will be more than the current Prado’s 150kW/500Nm outputs.

The other 2024 Toyota Prado powertrains nominated by Best Car include a potentially electrified 2.5-litre and gutsier 2.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engines, the latter of which regular readers will recognise from the new Lexus RX and Toyota Crown ranges.

In its RX application, the 2.4-litre powerplant is good for 205kW/430Nm on its lonesome but in hybrid form it’s claimed to deliver up to 273kW/550Nm.

Rumours have also been awash regarding the possible application of the 300 Series LandCruiser’s 3.3-litre twin-turbo diesel V6 (227kW/700Nm), which would give the new Prado even more grunt than the high-spec Ford Everest V6.

We doubt that will happen, but if it does it’s unlikely the big bent-six oiler will be applied directly to the new Prado, which will be lighter than Toyota’s flagship SUV, so instead it’s more likely to be detuned to around the 200kW/600Nm mark or less – perhaps via the removal of a turbocharger.

Other expectations for the new model include similar proportions, drastically enhanced road manners courtesy of the new platform and even more off-road capability.

Predictably, the all-new underpinnings and the addition of electrification technology is anticipated to drive the Prado’s asking price up, but at least customers will be getting an extensive batch of upgrades and enhancements for their money compared to the current model, which dates back to 2009.

But while it may be old, the Prado is still the best-selling large SUV in the country, where the only model it hasn’t outsold at least twice over is the Toyota Kluger monocoque seven-seater.

Sales expectations for the new Prado will therefore be sky-high and if the success of the new Ford Everest is anything to go by, demand for the new-generation off-roader will drastically outstrip supply and lead to some massive wait times.

Digital image: Luc Britten

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