Toyota remained true to its believes when it designed the 2020 version of its well-known Land Cruiser/Prado.
There were not too many car-makers to build an off-road vehicle like that.

The Land Cruiser started to be one of the last dinosaurs from the automotive industry. It was still a body-on-frame construction, with rugged suspension and able to go effortlessly over harsh terrain, even if most of its buyers were driving it on tarmac most of the time.

Since the introduction of the Land Cruiser 150 was in 2009, the exterior design was not dramatically changed. The new update was not only for its look but for the technical part as well. But it had to look different. The headlights and the whole front area was changed. The bumper was extended and curved, for better pedestrian protection. The Prado had moments when it had a chromed grille and when it had it black. For 2020 is black again with the Black Pack option.

Inside, it was fitted with a new infotainment system able to connect via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The car-maker said that it was a new one, with a faster response. It occupied the whole upper side of the center stack and looked much better than the flat and vertical system used before.

Under the hood, the Land Cruiser Prado succeeded to offer a Euro 6d engine to comply with the European regulations. It was an updated version of the 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine and it was paired to a 6-speed automatic gearbox fitted as standard. It was a weird decision since all its predecessors featured a standard manual transmission and an automatic fitted as an option.

After eight years on the market, Toyota updated its fourth generation of the Land Cruiser/Prado on the market with new engines, new interiors, and new technological features.
The Land Cruiser was considered one of the best 4x4 vehicles in the world. Its success relied on its ruggedness, reliability, and ability to go anywhere from the South Pole to the North Pole. It was the vehicle used to explore uncharted territories on Antarctica and cross Iceland.

From time to time, a car company builds a good vehicle that it is hard for them to replace it. Vehicles such as Volkswagen Beetle or Mercedes-Benz G-Class are just a few examples. The Land Cruiser was in about the same situation. The facelifted model added a new grille design, but the headlights remained with halogen lamps and LED for the daytime running lights. The front bumper peak was lifted to improve the car’s image and pedestrian protection as well.

The design team worked on the interior to redesign the dashboard and the center stack, installing an 8” color multimedia screen. The climate control commands were flush to the center stack. The carmaker installed heated and ventilated seats for the driver and the front passenger, offered as an option. Inside the instrument cluster, a 4.2” TFT color display showed the driving, vehicle status, audio, driver assistance systems, and the navigation system.

Under the hood, the Land Cruiser Prado featured a revised version of the 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine. It offered 168 hp instead of 177 as its predecessor. The other three gasoline engines were offered, depending on the market. For the off-road systems, Toyota kept the 4x4 on-demand system with a locking rear differential.

The 2013 Land Cruiser Prado is more of a facelift than a new model.
This is because Toyota knew that the Land Cruiser fans are satisfied with the general look of the vehicle that is an old, 2006 one. But its fans didn’t want it changed. So the Toyota designers did only some mild changes on the outside so the owners will show that this is a new vehicle.

Even though the car had the same shape and, there were some details that showed the differences. First of all, it was the grille, which looks bigger and bolder due to some chromed elements on it. The headlights are completely different and the bumper was mounted higher, to prevent hitting it when off-roading. In the back, the taillights were changed with a new model. But overall, the car looked the same.

Inside, the driver had a new 4.2” TFT screen in the instrument cluster that showed details when the care was in off-road mode. Also, there was a new dashboard with a new infotainment system with a touchscreen and navigation system. In higher trims for the vehicles that featured three seat rows, there was an optional electrically folding/unfolding button to make things easier.

There were two engine options available. A 3.0-liter turbo-diesel and a 4.0-liter V6 gasoline unit. The standard transmission for some markets was a 6-speed manual for the diesel but the V6 came only with a 5-speed automatic, which was also available for the diesel as an option.

The 2009 Toyota Land Cruiser was launched on the market to keep-up the Land Cruiser badge high and proud.
It was available with three doors, as well as with five doors.

The fourth generation of the Toyota Land Cruiser started its journey in 2009. It didn’t look too different than the model it replaced it. For some unadvised viewers, that model could just pass as a facelift. But it was a new vehicle. From the front, it was hard to tell the difference between a 3 or a 5 door version of a Prado. Both of them had the same chromed grille with 6 vertical slats. From the side though, it was clear that not only there were fewer doors, but also a shorter wheelbase for the 3 doors when compared to the 5-door version.

Inside the vehicle, there was room for five passengers, with a decent amount of trunk space. Not too much though. For those who wanted more, the rear seats could have been folded away. Luckily, the spare-wheel was not located inside the trunk. There was an option to install it outside the tailgate or underneath the car. The standard audio unit featured a basic LCD display, but a bigger, color screen was offered as an option. It could also show various information regarding fuel consumption and Eco-driving tips.

The short. 2451 mm (96.5”) wheelbase made the car behave better in some off-road situations, due to a tighter turning radius and a better break-over angle.

The new Toyota Land Cruiser 150 or Prado for some markets, was unveiled in October 2009.
This new medium size SUV comes with an updated look, taking its design cues from its bigger brother the Land Cruiser 200 Series. This new Sports Utility Vehicle from the Japanese car maker comes with a revised all-wheel drive traction system and several aiding electronic systems for its off road capabilities. The interior saw a through makeover as well, with a newly designed dashboard and center console. The Land Cruiser 150 comes with a choice of two engines, either a 3.0L diesel or a 4.0 V6 petrol unit.

The 2003 Land Cruiser, which was available in 3 and 5 doors versions, was an improvement especially in the technical area where the new SUV got multiple features supposed to improve the safety and the performance of the car.
The new Land Cruiser now has an all-wheel-drive system, ABS, traction control and rear air conditioning as standard while the front torso side airbags were available as options. In addition, the Japanese manufacturer added steering-wheel audio controls, auto-door locks and rear audio controls as well as a CD changer and rear DVD entertainment system.

In 2002, Toyota introduced a new generation for its well-known Land Cruiser/Prado J120 offroad-er, replacing the six-year-old Land Cruiser J90.
The Japanese carmaker had to recover the ground it lost with the J90 model, which didn’t prove to be very successful, and that’s why it was replaced sooner than other Land Cruiser models. The new model, code-named 120, offered a 109.8” (2790 mm) wheelbase for the five-door version, which was more suitable for most situations than the short-wheelbase, three-door version.

Toyota designers threw away their old design books and installed swept-back upwards headlights. Its big, wrapped-around front bumper was not metallic anymore but made from plastic. Its flared wheel-arches were a statement for off-road capabilities. As an option, the carmaker offered side-steps, which helped the ingress and egress from the car but decreased the ground clearance from the sides.

Inside, the five-door Land Cruiser offered room for up to seven people, with two jump-seats in the trunk. The designers made a car-inspired dashboard with curved lines and a center stack adorned by two aluminum-colored plastic trims on the sides. On top of it, the Land Cruiser featured a distinct LCD for the on-board computer. Depending on the trim-level, the carmaker installed wood-trims on the door panels and dashboard.

Under the hood, Toyota installed two engine choices: a 4.0-liter gasoline V-6 and a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-four. The latter was available with a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual, while the former was exclusively paired to an automatic transmission. All models featured an all-wheel-drive system with a transfer case, center-differential lock and low-range gear.

The 1996 Land Cruiser Prado was one of the best in-between 4WD cars on the market.
It offered comfort and endurance, plus high off-road capabilities.

In the past, there were not too many choices. It was either a rugged 4x4 with its bone-shaking chassis or a comfortable car on the road. There was no in-between. But Toyota flexed its muscles with the Land Cruiser Prado, a car with independent front suspension and a low-range transmission.

The bulky design of the vehicle was dominated by flat and big surfaces with barely any curves on it. A tall, wide, and flat front fascia with a small grille over a big plastic bumper was all that other people would see in the rear-view mirror inside their cars. From the side, the flared arches and plastic strips tried hard to make that truck look like a car. In the back, the Land Cruiser Prado featured a spare-wheel mounted on its tailgate.

Inside, the Prado was available with up to 8 seats in the 5-door version. There was a lot of room for any size of passengers. On the center stack, the Prado was fitted with air-conditioning and a stereo. On the center console, the gear-stick and the transmission lever were accompanied by the hand-brake. The switch for locking the rear differential was located next to the steering column.

For the drivetrain, the Land Cruiser Prado was available with a choice of diesel and gasoline engines. In some markets, it was offered with either a 2.7-liter four-pot or 3.0-liter V6 gasoline. On others, it was offered only with a 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel with four cylinders. Standard transmission, apart from the VX trim level, was a 5-speed manual, while a 4-speed auto was available, or standard on the VX.