After the publication of the first general information about the new generations of Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and Toyota Camry, it’s time to get acquainted with these cars in person and in the realities of the Ukrainian market. So here is the first look and first thoughts about the new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and Toyota Camry.
The new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUV: it’s a revolution
The frame is still in place, the engine is longitudinally mounted, permanent all-wheel drive, a lowering row, independent front suspension with double wishbones and a spring-loaded rear axle – everything is as it was. But in fact, the car has changed in every detail.
Firstly, it is now built on the GA-F platform: this means a new stiffer frame and a significant (plus 60 mm) increase in the wheelbase – now 2.85 meters. By the way, the size of the wheelbase and the platform’s codename hint at the new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado’s kinship with the older Toyota Land Cruiser 300 model. But the Prado is traditionally somewhat inferior in size: we have a length of 4.925 meters, which is still 85 mm more than its predecessor.
Secondly, the design has changed significantly: rectangular headlights, a side window line with a step, and an almost flat hood. It is important that the changes are functional. For example, enlarged wheel arches provide better drainage of liquid mud when driving off-road. The main headlights (LED or even matrix LED) are shifted closer to the center of the vehicle to protect them from possible damage by branches. And the wide, flat hood notch allows for better forward visibility. Even the front bumper is very well thought out: it is made of several elements, which makes it possible to replace it in parts, not in whole.
The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUV has slightly increased in size and changed in literally every detail; even the trunk lid – now it opens upwards. As for the version with round headlights: for the Ukrainian market, these Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUVs were offered in a special First Edition version (maximum configuration, limited edition of just over fifty vehicles) and have already been pre-booked by customers. In the future, we will be selling Toyota Land Cruiser Prado cars with these rectangular headlights. Although this does not exclude the production of a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado variant with round headlights for other markets – so they potentially exist somewhere in nature.
The interior of the new car can also vary, but depending on the configuration. Even the base version of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado has a digital dashboard, synthetic leather interior trim, seat ventilation, and more. And the maximum versions have a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch center touchscreen display, windshield projection, climate control, and heated/ventilated seats, even in the back.
There are also a lot of changes under the hood. It’s a pity, but so far hybrid versions of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado are not for Ukraine – work in this direction is underway, but there is no concrete answer. But the other two engines are already available: we are talking about the well-known 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine (204 hp and 500 Nm) from the predecessor, as well as a new 2.4-liter gasoline turbo engine (282 hp and 430 Nm), which replaced the atmospheric V6. Both engines are mated to an 8-speed Direct Shift automatic transmission, also new to the Prado.
The interior has modern displays and a well-thought-out layout of various switches. Under the hood, there is always a turbo and four cylinders; the only question is whether it will be gasoline or diesel. In addition to the fundamental changes in the type of platform and engine, a lot of important details have also changed. For example, the MTS (off-road driving mode selection) system: From now on, this system is not only activated when the low 4L row is engaged, but also in the normal 4H position – and that’s a good thing! After all, if you’re driving a car like Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and you’ve already reached such off-road conditions that require the use of a lowering range, then… And so – now MTS allows you to adjust the car for light off-road conditions or even choose AUTO-driving mode. The range of operating speeds of other auxiliary systems has also been expanded, the ability to disengage the anti-roll bar has been added (it adds +5 cm of wheel travel), and an electric power steering has been introduced.
The presentation program also included a short test drive of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. At the moment, I can’t say anything for sure about the dynamics, fuel consumption, and handling; but I can share my first impressions. I received a gasoline version of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and it is quite interesting. The engine produces very even traction, it picks up smoothly and then accelerates quickly. Perhaps the new automatic transmission with a large number of gears and quick, unobtrusive shifts also helps. But the impression of engine dynamics and reactions is very pleasant. But its sound is not. There is no beautiful roaring sound of the V6, there is just a humming sound from the engine. If they couldn’t make the engine sound good, they should have just muffled it as much as possible. I hope that dealers will offer additional soundproofing (as well as stone mesh in the bumper grille). But I’ll say it again: if you take away the comments about the sound, the new turbo engine and automatic leave a very pleasant first impression. The only thing that can compete with it is the comfort and sense of overall lightness of the car.
The test drive took place on the border of Kyiv and the region, we drove not only on smooth asphalt, but also on broken rural roads (and a little bit on an off-road test site), and usually it is broken roads that are a problem for a frame car with a solid rear axle and heavy wheels. However, the new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado moves as if it doesn’t know about it: comfort, almost like a good crossover’s air suspension. Although, by the way, the rear air cylinders on the new Prado have been abandoned – only conventional springs. And that makes this metamorphosis look all the more strange.
By the way, some people have to give up the frame and rear axle in favor of a reinforced body and independent air suspension for the sake of good driving manners. But the new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUV achieves pleasant comfort and ease of handling while retaining the frame and axle. A revolution while preserving the traditions of real SUVs! But all of this is not cheap: the price tag of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado starts at 2.4 million UAH and ends at almost 3 million UAH.
New Toyota Camry sedan: it’s an evolution
In today’s world of all-out crossovers and SUVs, there seems to be almost no room left for traditional passenger cars. But this is definitely not the case with the Toyota Camry sedan: since the model was launched in 1982, about 21 million cars have been sold worldwide, and 36 thousand cars were sold in Ukraine in 2004-2024. Today, the Camry model is the third most popular among all Toyota vehicles in Ukraine (ahead of the RAV and Prado) and is the leader in the Ukrainian D/E-class sedan market. Just don’t change anything, just don’t jinx it!
It looks like the designers did just that: the body retained the familiar proportions, but looked lighter and more dynamic: new narrow headlights and lights, an additional element behind the doors made it possible to visually reduce the width of the rear roof pillar. The length of the car has increased to 4.92 meters (plus 35 mm), but the 2.825-meter wheelbase has not changed – the entire increase was achieved by increasing the overhangs.
The Toyota Camry interior has a new front panel with a new architecture and a pair of large displays, a ribbed element that somewhat hides the ventilation deflectors, and a new climate control unit. However, these are all important changes for the driver and front passenger. But for the rear passengers, it’s important that there have been almost no changes – I’m talking about the miracle armrest, which allows you to control the temperature, radio, seat heating, sofa backrest position, sun shade…
The main technical innovation of the Toyota Camry is the fifth-generation hybrid system: still a 2.5-liter gasoline engine, but a more powerful electric motor, a new control unit, a lithium-ion battery, etc. The result is an increase in power up to 231 hp, while the hybrid system is lighter (minus 7.7 kg). In addition to the hybrid, the new Toyota Camry is also available with a conventional 2.5-liter gasoline engine paired with an 8-speed automatic.
The interior has changed significantly in the front and retains the miracle armrest for rear passengers. There is a new hybrid under the hood, but a conventional engine is still available in the range. The cost of Toyota Camry with this engine starts at UAH 1.44 million, Toyota Camry Hybrid costs from UAH 1.63 million.
Sales of the new products will begin soon: the official launch of Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is scheduled for November 1, 2024, and the Toyota Camry will be launched a little later, approximately in mid-November. This is all the first information I have today. However, I hope that in the future I will be able to prepare detailed reviews and test drives of these cars. Stay tuned!
Loading comments …