The car I was hoping to see during the Toyota Road Trek back in May is finally here. Toyota Motor Philippines officially welcomes the 2024 Land Cruiser Prado into its lineup with a sticker price of PHP 4,800,000 for the single 2.4 Turbo variant. It represents the middle ground of Toyota’s intentions for the cars in the Land Cruiser lineup globally, with this Prado aimed towards practicality and off-road capability.
As it leans toward showcasing off-road prowess, the Land Cruiser Prado has a boxy design that gives it an old school SUV appeal. It looks great against any terrain you drive it to. For those who are numbers conscious, it’s only 190mm shorter and 10mm lower in height than its literal bigger brother LC300.
Where is the practicality of the Prado you say? It’s in a few key areas. First is the engine. Unlike the V6 of its predecessor, the 2024 Prado has a 2.4-liter turbo gas engine producing 281 horsepower and 431 Nm of torque, paired to an 8-speed automatic. That means it’s more fuel efficient than the previous model. This is also accompanied with 6 Drive Modes.
Second is the steering. This generation of the Land Cruiser Prado is the first to have Electronic Power Steering (the LC300 still has Hydraulic Power Steering). That gives the Prado a lighter feel on the steering wheel for easier maneuvers and handling in the city. It also helps avoid kickback or the steering wheel suddenly rotating quickly while on the trails.
Third is the suspension as the Prado comes with Adaptive Variable Suspension system. This is something that even the lower trim (yet more expensive) LC300 VX doesn’t have. It allows the Prado to have better ride comfort in any terrain.
Inside is a 7-seater cabin with a dashboard layout that’s distinct from the flagship Land Cruiser. The one in the Prado has a prominent horizontal theme highlighted by the single housing of the digital gauge cluster and the touchscreen. The door panel controls are also different in that they’re not on an incline towards the dashboard resulting in a more spacious visual for the front occupants.
Amenities include 10-way Power Adjustable Driver’s Seat, 4-way Power Adjustable Passenger Seat, Power Folding Third Row Seats, Power Tilt and Telescopic Steering Wheel, 12.3-inch Digital Gauge Cluster, Digital Rear View Mirror, Electronic Parking Brake with Auto Brake Hold, Ambient Lighting, Triple Zone Automatic Climate Control, 12.3-inch touchscreen with Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Wireless Charger, and Powered Tailgate with Kick Sensor.
Safety is also uncompromised as the Prado comes with Toyota Safety Sense. That includes Pre-Collision System, Automatic High Beam with Adaptive High Beam System, Lane Keeping System, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. There’s also 10 airbags, front and rear sensors, Panoramic View Monitor, and Multi-Terrain View Monitor.
For the off-road bits, the Land Cruiser Prado comes with 4×4 Drivetrain with Differential Lock, Limited Slip Differential with Torque Sensing, Crawl Control, and Multi-Terrain Select among others.
The 2024 Land Cruiser Prado is available in a single variant only with three color options. There’s the Avant Garde Bronze, Attitude Black Mica, and the Platinum White Pearl Mica that commands a PHP 15,000 premium.
