By Wayne M Adams
In 1990 Toyota added the Prado model to its Landcruiser line of vehicles. This line was marketed more towards on the road purpose rather than previous offerings which leaned heavily on the off road capability of the vehicles. This vehicle has a coil over shock suspension to improve handling, and came in either four door or two door versions.
In May of 1993 the Prado went through a makeover and was revamped as the 90 series. The Prado was stretched while keeping the design a medium duty vehicle. Toyota then swapped out the front suspension with an independent setup that was similar to their Tacoma and Hilux Surf’s. Then by June of 1999 more changes were made, fog lamps were added to the front bumper, new engines were available and an engine immobilizer was used as a theft deterrent.
The third generation of the Prado was introduced in 2002, this variation included a re designed front suspension which addressed past concerns about the reliability of the other earlier versions. Because these vehicles were now being viewed as more luxury than off road transportation they became more desirable to thieves. For this reason Toyota made all Prado vehicles with an Immobilizer as standard fare. Both petrol engines and diesel engines were offered in the range in various sizes and power levels to suit any combination a consumer might want.
The last and fourth generation of the Prado was released in 2009. This was available in two different base versions, either a five door or a three door model. This generation of Prado’s featured an array of electronic gadget additions in the passenger compartment and also included advanced four wheel drive capabilities. The removable seats for the third row of the vehicle were replaced with versions that now fold down under the floor.
Engines Available by generation:
First generation:
- 2.4L-22R
- 2.4L-2L
- 2.4L-2L-T
- 2.7L-3RZ-FE
- 3.0L-1KZ-TE
Second generation:
- 2.7L-3RZ-FE
- 3.4L-5VZ-FE
- 2.8L-3L
- 3.0L-5L
- 3.0L-1KD-FTV
Third generation:
- 2.7L-3RZ-FE
- 3.4L-5VZ-FE
- 3.0L-1KD-FTV
- 2.7L-2TR-FE
- 4.0L-1GR-FE
- 4.7L-2UZ-FE
- 3.0L-1KZ-FE
While the Prado is a definitive model of its own accord it is regarded by many as a perfect combination of the finesse for on road commuting and ruggedness for off road excursions. This makes the prado one of the most sought after vehicles in the market for people looking to bridge that line and enjoy whatever the road wants to throw at them.