On the back of the news that Toyota will introduce a more powerful Hilux GR Sport in coming months, there’s a good chance that the Prado will benefit from the power bump.

Toyota’s junior Land Cruiser has been around for a while.

The 150-series Prado has moved into its 12th year of production, double the typical SUV lifecycle. Although demand remains strong, there are some lagging technology elements – due to Prado’s age and unsophisticated platform.

Toyota has shown that it knows how to keep a ladder-frame luxury SUVrelevant. Evidence of this is the evolution from Land Cruiser 200 to 300, where newer features and technologies have been added, but the ladder frame platformretained.

With the new Prado, which is expected to be revealed in 2022, industry analysts expect much of the same. Toyota will in all likelihood, shorten the Land Cruiser 300’s modular GA-F platform. That will continue to give Prado owners the proven durability and rough terrain survivability of a ladder frame structure.

Engines for new Prado?

A new Prado is expected to be revealed later in 2022 and could reach South Africa in 2023.

One of the most significant challenges for the next-generation Prado will be the powertrain. There is increasing pressure on diesel engines as an option, with little development. And hybridisation is complex, adding cost, especially when the application is a dedicated Overlanding and touring vehicle, such as Prado.

What can fans of the junior Land Cruiser expect in terms of engine choice? For some markets (most likely South Africa), there is a high probability of the2.8-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, continuing with some improvements. In fact, Toyota recently announced that it will introduce a more potent Hilux GR in South Africa in 2022 with its 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine uprated to deliver 165 kW and 550 Nm. Logic, therefore, dictates that Prado is well-positioned to receive this updated powertrain which is sure to please Prado customers.

Toyota is likely to face a challenge in the status of its new 3.3-litre V6 turbodiesel engine, which debuted in the Land Cruiser 300. There is a real cannibalisation risk when offering a lead powertrain in two different models, especially when those two vehicles are in a hierarchy and it’s therefore reasonable to expect a slightly detuned V6 engine to make its way into the new Prado.

There have also been rumours of the possibility of a 2.4-litrehybrid petrol powertrain with up to 294kW!

Toyota never offered its Land Cruiser 200 V8 turbodiesel in the Prado, because it could risk diluting the appeal of the larger off-road vehicle. That same risk now exists with the next-generation Prado and new Land Cruiser 300.

We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

Buy a used Toyota Prado on Cars.co.za

Related content

Comparison: Land Rover Defender vs Toyota Prado

The Land Cruiser Legend – How we got to 300