2024 Toyota LandCruiser Prado to debut later this year – report
More information on the new-generation Toyota Prado has emerged out of Japan, with deliveries slated to begin within the next 12 months.
UPDATE, 2 August 2023: The 2024 Toyota Prado has been revealed in full, ahead of Australian showroom arrivals in mid-2024. Click here for full details.
The 2024 Toyota LandCruiser Prado is set to be unveiled later this year ahead of its arrival in showrooms next year.
As reported by Drive last month, first deliveries of the Prado are expected to begin in April 2024, but the latest report from reputable Japanese publication Best Car claims Toyota will unveil the new model – thought to be called the '250 Series' – in late 2023.
It's believed the new-generation Prado was originally due to be unveiled in the final months of 2022 but was pushed back by more than 12 months – almost 15 years after the current model debuted.
And, according to overseas reports, the new generation Toyota Prado will see the introduction of a new 'GR Sport' variant.
Japanese media outlets continue to speculate on engine options for the upcoming Prado, however Best Car reports the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine in the current model is likely to carry over, while a hybrid 2.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder could be adopted from the recently-unveiled Toyota Tacoma pick-up.
In the Tacoma, the hybrid engine sends a total of 243kW and 630Nm through an eight-speed automatic transmission, helped by a 36kW electric motor powered by a 1.87kWh battery.
There have also been unconfirmed reports of a 2.7-litre engine being available in the new Toyota Prado, however this could be carried over from the current model, with the 2.7-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine offered on entry-level variants in selected markets such as Japan and the Middle East.
As reported in recent days, Drive has learned the forthcoming luxury Toyota Prado-based Lexus GX will not offer a diesel engine, with buyers instead to be given the option of a hybrid four-cylinder petrol engine or a twin-turbo V6 borrowed from the LandCruiser 300 Series.
Unconfirmed reports from company insiders claim the large SUV will drop the Prado name for the North American market – where the LandCruiser 300 Series is not sold – to be sold as the LandCruiser in that region.
It's not the first time Toyota has adopted this strategy. In the UK, the current-shape Prado is instead sold as the LandCruiser.
Surprisingly, Japan's Best Car magazine – which has a solid track record of reporting accurate information from inside Toyota – admits it has no details on the interior of the new Prado, however it has speculated it will likely borrow some design cues from the LandCruiser 300 Series.
2021 LandCruiser Prado Kakadu
While yet to be confirmed, the new Toyota Prado 250 Series is said to be bigger than the current model, growing in length by 75mm to 4900mm, while also increasing in width by 35mm to 1920mm, and growing in height by 10mm to 1900mm. The wheelbase is also expected to grow by 60mm to 2850mm.
The latest reports also suggest the Prado will drop its side-hinged barn door at the rear of the vehicle – a characteristic of the model since it launched in Australia in 1996 – instead adopting a more common lift-up tailgate.
Production of the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser Prado 250 Series is expected to begin in October 2023 – roughly the same as the model's global reveal – ahead of showroom arrivals in April 2024, pending any further delays.
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