Just point this Prado - and let it go

Toyota has introduced a new fourth-generation Land Cruiser Prado, and its defining feature is that it contains a host of standard and optional items designed to make it easier to drive - particularly off the road, as Rob Maetzig reports.

When Toyota was developing its new Prado SUV, the project involved prototypes driven over 30,000 kilometres  of severe terrain.

That use, engineers say, simulated some 100,000km of everyday use. And it's interesting to note that quite a bit of the testing took place here in New Zealand.

Nobody discovered this, and Toyota says this is because it disguised the prototypes as third- generation Prados.

Well, all I can say about that is that Toyota would hardly have had to go to much effort to dress up the new so it would look like the old.

You'd have to be the proverbial train-spotter to note the differences between the two.

The length is a bit longer, even though the wheelbase remains the same; it's a little wider and lower; and the beltline has been raised to provide a more contemporary look. But despite all of that, this new Prado continues to look just like, well - a Prado.

That's OK, though. Why dramatically change the look of a good thing? Not only is the vehicle the clear leader in what Toyota New Zealand describes as the 'medium rugged' SUV market segment with a 25 per cent share, but it keeps a remarkable 80 per cent retention ratio - in other words, eight out of every 10 Prado owners are happily replacing their vehicles with another Prado.

And at the media launch of the fourth-generation Prado in Palmerston North last week, TNZ forecast that both the market share and retention rate are poised to improve even further. That's because even though the new model might look as familiar as a favourite pair of shoes, underneath that skin is a new model that is chock-full of new- age technology that is there to make the vehicle better than before.

TNZ's product planning manager Bruce Buckland said the purpose of it all is not to expand the limits of the vehicle, but to make it easier to drive in most off-road situations, and to prevent damage to the drivetrain due to driver inexperience.

That's a very good point.

Offroad driving can be an un- nerving experience for a number of reasons, not the least not quite knowing the angle of the front wheels in really muddy conditions, where the edge of the track might be, and what's over the edge of a steep incline. A further major mistake often made by tyro off-roaders is that they don't realise that if their vehicle is simply left to its own devices it is quite capable of tackling tough terrain pretty well all on its own.

This new Prado offers several new features designed to help overcome all of that.

For starters, the top VX and VX Limited models come as standard with a Steering Angle Display in the instrument panel that shows the angle of the front wheels and their predicted path.

During last week's media event, as we cruised inland towards Toyota's four-wheel- drive training facility near Apiti, dumb old me initially thought the display was telling me my Prado was operating in front-wheel drive! But it wasn't long into the offroading exercise itself that the use - and the usefulness - of the display became impressively obvious.

Even more impressive is an optional Off Road Package, which can be fitted to the VX for $2250, and at no cost to the Limited because a pre-crash system and radar cruise control have to be deleted.

This package boasts a wealth of features including multi-terrain ABS, crawl control, multi-terrain select, multi-terrain monitor, and an electronically controlled rear differential lock.

Some of these are pretty special. I particularly liked the crawl control - described by the Toyota people as 'off-road cruise control' - which uses various sensors and the engine's electronic control unit to manage both the throttle and the traction control to apply braking separately to each wheel and maintain traction across rugged terrain and up steep, rough hills.

TOYOTA LAND  CRUISER PRADO POWER PLANT: In-line four  cylinder 16-valve DOHC  common rail turbocharged and  intercooled diesel, 127kW at 3400rpm, 410Nm from 1600rpm  to 2800rpm.  RUNNING GEAR: Full-time all- wheel drive with High-Low ratios.  GX has choice of six-speed  manual and five-speed  automatic transmissions, VX  models are auto only. Double  wishbone front suspension, four- link rigid axle type at the rear. HOW BIG: Length 4930mm,  width 1885mm, height 1845mm  (GX) 1890mm (VX) 1880mm  (Limited), wheelbase 2790mm. HOW MUCH: GX manual  $78,490, automatic $79,990. VX  auto $89,900. VX Limited auto  $104,990. WHAT'S GOOD: Very easy  drive on and off the road, high  levels of comfort, the petrol  engine won't be missed. WHAT'S NOT: The fact the new  looks rather like the old could be  a criticism. OUR VERDICT: Life, particularly  off the road, has never been so good with this new Prado. It's the  motoring version of a point-and- shoot camera.

All the driver has to do is engage the crawl, use an adjust button to set a vehicle speed between 1kmh and 5kmh, and simply leave the system to work its magic.

The only requirement is to steer the Prado and sit back, impressed, as the vehicle literally drives itself. The crawl also operates in reverse.

And if a driver is worried about where the Prado is being steered to, then the multi-terrain monitor can be employed. This system uses four cameras to allow the driver to select four different views - front, front wheels, rear wheels and rear - to know exactly where the big Toyota is positioned.

Last week, I particularly enjoyed using this system to take a look over the crests of hills. Whenever off-roading, I never have felt entirely comfortable flopping over the edge of a steep drop or the crest of a hill without quite knowing what is on the other side, and the multi-terrain monitor removes all that uncertainty.

Multi-terrain ABS was first introduced in the Land Cruiser 200 and 'reads' the road then works the brakes differently according to surface conditions, while the multi-terrain select is a system that uses the ABS to provide maximum traction for situations ranging from mud and sand, loose rocks, moguls, and rocks. This all seemed a bit overly complicated for me, but I have no doubt it works.

Overall, the Off-Road Package is a pretty impressive piece of kit, and the Toyota NZ people are confident it will be optioned in by a large number of Prado VX and VX Limited buyers.

And in some respects it overshadows another major change that has been introduced with this fourth-generation model - the lineup doesn't offer any petrol engines.

All three grades of Prado are now powered by an improved versions of the well-known 1KD 3.0-litre turbo-diesel, which offers 127kW of power and 410Nm of torque, and which now boasts fuel consumption of 8.5L/100 km when mated to a six-speed manual, and 8.8L/100 km with a five-speed auto.

All Prado models are full-time all-wheel drive, and have 11 airbags, ABS brakes, stability control, traction control, hill- start assist and downhill assist control (auto versions only), smart entry and start, Bluetooth hands-free phone capability, reversing camera, parking sensors, engine immobiliser and alarm, and a rear spoiler.

The entry model is the GX, which has 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear door-mounted spare wheel with hard cover, dual-zone air conditioning, reverse parking sensors, and a single disc MP3/ WMA compatible CD player. The GX is also the only Prado available with manual transmission.

Prado VX adds 18-inch alloys, under floor-mounted spare, the very good Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System first seen in the Land Cruiser 200, front and side view cameras, front parking sensors, headlight cleaners, three-zone climate air, six-disc CD with nine speakers, power- adjustable and heated front sears, leather, a glass hatch in the rear door, and rear privacy glass.

The top of the range VX Limited offers an adaptive variable suspension system with rear active height control, the pre-crash safety system and dynamic radar cruise control (that's if the owner doesn't opt for the off-road package), six-disc CD/DVD changer with 14 speakers, satellite navigation, a coolbox, rear-seat entertainment with 9-inch screen, and a tilt and slide sunroof.

It all adds up to a new Prado that Toyota NZ general manager of sales and operations Steve Prangnell said is increasingly bridging the gap between a hardcore offroader and a passenger car.

"New Prado provides customers with the opportunity to enjoy Land Cruiser's legendary off-road capability in a package equally suited to refined daily driving," he told reporters.

- © Fairfax NZ News