Toyota LandCruiser Prado – What you need to know

The current 2023 Toyota LandCruiser Prado may be getting long in the tooth, dating back more than 13 years, but it’s still a hit with buyers.

Four trim levels make up the Toyota Prado range, kicking off with the GX, then the GXL, VX and
top-of-the-tree Kakadu. All have the same engine, transmission and 4WD layout.

Prices currently start at $62,830 plus on-road costs, spiralling to $88,998 plus ORCs for the Kakadu, and this is what you get in the Toyota Prado GX:

• 17-inch alloy wheels with full-size spare
• Air-conditioning
• Reversing camera
• 9.0-inch infotainment touch screen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity
• Satellite navigation

Optional across the Toyota Prado range is metallic paint for an extra $675.

A seven-seat option for the Prado GX adds $2550, with all other models fitted as standard with seating for seven.

The Prado GXL, VX and Kakadu are available with a no-cost flat tailgate option that sees the spare wheel moved to under the rear.

A $3470 Premium Interior Option pack is offered on the GXL, adding leather trim, power-operated, ventilated and heated front seats and heated second-row seats.

Every Toyota Prado has the car-maker’s ‘Safety Sense’ suite of driver assistance features including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, lane departure warning, active cruise control and road speed sign assist.

There’s also blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, a reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers, electric stability and traction control, hill start and downhill assist, trailer sway control and seven airbags.

In addition, the Prado VX and Kakadu feature front parking sensors, plus a ‘panoramic and multi-terrain monitor’ for the VX as a minimum.

Note that the Prado’s five-star safety rating earned way back in 2011 was deemed by ANCAP to have expired at the end of last year, considering the testing protocols are long outmoded.

A 9.0-inch colour touch-screen accessing Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, MP3 connectivity, AM/FM tuner and Bluetooth connectivity comes standard on all variants of the Toyota Prado.

You can have digital radio and 14-speaker premium audio if you go for the VX, and if you want your rear seat passengers to enjoy the luxury of a Blu-Ray entertainment system with three wireless headsets, sign up for the Kakadu.

Both the Toyota Prado GX and GXL have 17-inch alloy wheels while the up-spec VX and Kakadu models roll along on 19-inch alloys, with all having a full-size spare.

All Prados have an auto-on headlight function and LED daytime running lights. The GX makes do with halogen headlights while the other models use bi-LED headlights and LED fog lights.

If you want auto-levelling headlights, skip the GX with its manual adjustment and select any other model. To have dusk-sensing headlights you’ll have to go for at least the VX.

For privacy glass, roof rails and side steps, tick the box marked GXL, but if you want the steps illuminated stretch the dollars to the VX.

Air-conditioning is found in all models; it’s manually operated in the GX, stepping up to three-zone climate control in the GXL, VX and Kakadu.

Do you want to lift the interior ambience of your Prado? The leather-accented seats in the VX do the trick, with the front seats offering both heating and cooling while the outer second-row seats having a heating function.

Other handy features that kick off with the VX are a refrigerated cool box, auto-dimming rear-view mirror and a power-adjustable steering wheel.

Is a moonroof on the wish list? Then make a beeline for the Kakadu that brings with it two memory positions for the driver’s seat, power-folding third-row seats, paddle shifts and telephone controls set in the woodgrain-look steering wheel.

Just one engine powers the Toyota LandCruiser Prado: a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. It’s paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, and all variants are four-wheel drive.

A rear diff lock is handy for off-roading and comes standard in the GXL, but if you want all the good gear to make off-roading a cinch, the Kakadu is the only one with five-speed crawl control, adaptive variable suspension and Toyota Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System and Multi-Terrain Select.

A long range between refuels is a Prado benefit due to its 150-litre tank, comprising an 87L main tank and 63L sub fuel tank. However, the latter is deleted if you go for the no-cost-option flat tailgate that includes a handy separate-opening window (and repositions the spare tyre under the floor).

Maximum braked towing capacity for the Prado is 3000kg, which is down on the 3500kg that some rivals claim.

While it looks and feels a bit outdated there’s no denying the Toyota Prado’s solid on-road feel and one of invincibility off-road. It’s understandable why it’s a top seller.

If your motoring takes in a bit of recreational off-roading and towing, the GXL stacks up well with its generous comfort, convenience and safety features at a price that won’t kill the budget and slips under the luxury car tax grab.

But if you want more bells and whistles without going over the top with your dollars, I reckon the VX is the one to sign up for.

How much does the 2023 Toyota Prado cost?
GX – $62,830
GXL – $69,530
VX – $78,348
Kakadu – $88,998
*Prices exclude on-road costs