Toyota has chosen the IAA 2017 in Frankfurt to unveil the second major facelift of the Euro-spec Land Cruiser SUV. Note that in other markets it's sold as the Land Cruiser Prado, and shouldn't be mistaken with the Land Cruiser LC200.
Leaked via Japanese spy shots and brochure scans ahead of its IAA premiere, the second facelift is much more extensive, freshening up the 8-year-old SUV. It has grown by 60mm in length to 4,840 mm (4,565 mm for the 3-door model) and continues to ride on a body-on-frame construction model.
What could generate polarising opinions is the new bonnet design, which is claimed “to enhance downward visibility”. It also gets new LED headlamps, chrome heavy vertical slats in the grille, new front and rear bumpers, and tweaked taillights. Toyota has introduced two new exterior colours as well: Midnight Emerald Blue and Avant-Garde Bronze Metallic.
The interior receives a more extensive makeover to uplift the Land Cruiser's premium quotient. It comes with an all new eight-inch touch screen, new instrument cluster sticks with four dials flanking a new 4.2-inch TFT digital display, redesigned steering wheel, choice of three interior colour themes, white LED cabin illumination. The new Prado can also be equipped with Toyota's Safety Sense package which includes autonomous emergency braking (with pedestrian detection), adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert and automatic dipping headlights.
For global markets, Toyota offers three engine options on the Land Cruiser Prado. The sole diesel option is a 2.8L 4-cyl D-4D turbodiesel DOHC four-cylinder engine which develops 130 kW/177 hp at 3,400 rpm and a maximum 450 Nm of torque between 1,600 and 2,400 rpm. It is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The petrol options include a 2.7L VVT-i 4-cyl motor with 161 hp and a 4.0L V6 VVT-i with 249 hp. Both can also be had with a 6-speed automatic, while the 2.7L variant is also available with a 5-speed manual option.
