Waiting for a new Toyota LandCruiser Prado? You’ll have to wait a little longer.
Toyota’s venerable large SUV will reportedly get another update before a new generation arrives.
Japanese site Creative311 reports the current Prado, first introduced in 2009, will receive a modest update, arriving in Japanese showrooms in August.
This will reportedly include unspecified upgrades to its suite of safety equipment, as well as cosmetic tweaks like a refreshed grille, a partial change in interior colour, and an armrest finished in synthetic leather.
A new special edition will also join the Japanese line-up to replace the 70th Anniversary edition.
This report follows one from BestCarWeb late last year, which said the Prado wouldn’t launch until after the summer (our winter) of 2024, suggesting Toyota mightn’t want to launch another hotly anticipated large SUV while demand is still strong for the LandCruiser 300 Series.
That’s in contrast with earlier reports out of Japan, which pointed to a redesigned Prado launch as soon as 2022.
Other reports have pointed to the next Prado offering a version of the LandCruiser 300 Series’ twin-turbo 3.3-litre V6 diesel engine, which would give Toyota an answer to the upcoming Ford Everest redesign that’ll also pack a diesel V6.
In the 300 Series, the 3.3-litre produces 227kW of power and 700Nm of torque and is mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
That’s a significant jump in outputs over the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four in the current Prado which puts out 150kW and 500Nm.
Previous overseas reports have suggested the Prado range will also get a hybrid option, specifically a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder; that’s in contrast with the 300 Series, which is expected to use a hybrid 3.5-litre V6.
Toyota Tundra 
Lexus LX 
Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series
It’s unclear if this hybrid four is still in the works, though Toyota has previously said it aims to have hybrid versions of the HiLux, HiAce, Prado and LandCruiser 300 Series by 2030.
Again, the Ford Everest could prove a thorn in the Prado’s side. It’s also expected to get a hybrid option – a new turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain that’ll also feature in the redesigned Ranger.
The redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee is also getting a plug-in hybrid option called the 4xe, which will be offered in both the regular-length and extended L body styles.
The redesigned Prado is expected to move to the new TNGA-F body-on-frame architecture underpinning the LandCruiser 300 Series, as well as the Toyota Tundra and Sequoia and the Lexus LX.
The current Prado shares much of its underpinnings with the North American 4Runner, while a more upscale Prado exists in the shape of the Lexus GX. These are also likely to move to the TNGA-F architecture at some point.
Lexus released a shadowy teaser late in 2021 of what appeared to be its redesigned petrol and hybrid line-up, and it included a boxy SUV that could be the next-generation GX.
Alternatively, it could be a rumoured crossover called the TX, which will reportedly slot in above the RX.
Lexus GX
If it’s the next GX, it remains to be seen whether the Lexus remains as closely tied to its Toyota counterpart in its next generation.
The current GX shares its body with the Prado, albeit with different front- and rear-end styling.
It also features a different interior, and is powered by a naturally-aspirated 4.6-litre petrol V8 engine instead of the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four sold here or the 2.7-litre atmo petrol sold in Japan.
