There are two great choices to be made
by today's `grey nomads' – the caravan and then what vehicle to tow
that van around this great island we call Australia on the `Big
Trip'. It's a mix-and-match that needs to be complementary for towing
purposes plus the vehicle must take on additional duties as transport
on and off-road. There's no doubt Toyota have targeted this market
segment with the all-new Prado three door.
If we were planning to set off on the
Big Trip it's a vehicle we'd certainly have on the contender list.
Underpinning Toyota's belief many people are looking for a short
wheel base tow vehicle, the all-new three door Prado has a greater
towing capability than the five door – 3000 kg – a significant
500 kg boost.
Our road test Prado three door was the
SX turbo diesel or entry level model at $55,990 (before government
and dealer charges) which also happens to be the same price and
equipment level as the five door GX model. The main difference
between the two is the two extra doors and the five door price is on
a six speed manual transmission, while the three door only comes with
a five speed auto.
The last time Toyota had a rugged
three-door 4WD was between 1985-91 when it sold the Bundera, a fairly
agricultural off-roader. There is no similarity between that vehicle
and the new Prado short wheel base, launched alongside the long wheel
base, late last year. The latest Prado is about as sophisticated as
it gets in terms of ride, handling, safety technology and equipment.
Even as a three door Prado gets five
seats with the back row folding down to enlarge the cargo area from a
modest size to a healthy 1.43 cubic metres. Like any three door
vehicle passenger access to the rear pew is tight. Once seated though
the Prado shorty is comfortable with good head and leg room for two
rear seat passengers, and three at a pinch. There's no feeling of
being hemmed in with large side windows giving a light airy feel for
the rear seat passengers.
Three door Prado is 445 mm shorter at
4485mm than the bigger sibling, the wheelbase is 2455mm compared to
2790mm, it is slightly lower at 1875mm and has a much tighter turning
circle at 10.4 metres compared to the 11.6 metres of the larger
Prado. With its shorter overall length and wheelbase the vehicle eats
car parking for breakfast – one of the normal banes of owning a
full-size 4WD – even in tight shopping centre car parks.
Weighing in at 360 kg lighter than the
equivalent five door the immediate impact is on fuel consumption with
the three-door turbo-diesel official economy of 8.3 litres/100 kms.
Obviously towing and driving style will vary this amount, but it's a
good starting point for any vehicle capable of towing 3000 kg.
As a basic package the SX comes highly
equipped in the areas where it really matters. Across both vehicles
Prado gets seven airbags, stability control and uphill and downhill
assist. The higher-priced ZR gets a host of extra equipment – much
of which can be considered a luxury package plus off-road assistance
for inexperienced or lazy off-road drivers.
On road the shorty exhibits a soft
suspension – hit the anchors and the nose dips dramatically. This
takes some getting used to. The same suspension irons out bumpy,
uneven roads and makes normally uncomfortable off-road excursions
such as rock hopping a smooth experience which all passengers will
thank you for. The driving position is high with excellent all-round
vision. Body roll is evident and there's some understeer in hard
cornering on the black top.
Both Prado variants share the same four
cylinder, 3.0 litre turbo diesel engine that puts out 127 kw of power
and 410 Nm of torque between 1600 – 2800 rpm. Mated to the five
speed auto – with sequential shifter – it's a delightful package.
It cruises easily at high speed and apart from some diesel rattle
when idling or working off-road, is acceptably quiet.
We tested the vehicle on our standard
off-road circuit looking at engine braking, traction, entry and
departure angles and ramp-over as well as wheel articulation. The
vehicle runs in permanent 4WD high and there's a switch to engage
low range as well as buttons to lock the centre diff and start the
hill descent control. Two of the off-road advantages of short
wheelbase 4WDs is the improved ramp-over angle due to the short
wheelbase and secondly a better departure angle thanks to less rear
overhang. In real terms this means it has less chance of scraping the
underside of the body when going over humps and rocky terrain, and
less chance of scraping the rear end when exiting creeks and gullies.
Toyota have done a superb job in
getting all these aspects spot on in the SWB Prado. As an unmodified
off-roader we found it hard to fault, completing every exercise with
capability that gives confidence in a wide variety of off-road
situations that the experienced four wheeler is likely to tackle. In
particular we enjoyed the ride with the suspension smoothing over the
whiplash effect of rock-hopping out of the equation. On fast
stretches of fire trails the Prado felt completely at home, in
particular the steering and grip.
Prado three door comes in two
specification levels, the SX as tested and the highly-equipped ZR
that tops the scales at $65,990 (manufacturers list price). For the
extra $10,000 you get a bevy of extra gadgetry and equipment
including CRAWL control for off-roading, four camera angles, rear
differential lock, 18 inch alloys, leather accented seat and door
trim, 12-speaker Pioneer sound system, DVD multi changer,
touch-screen navigation,, refrigerated cool box, moon roof,
rain-sensing wipers, auto on/off headlamps, headlamp washers, privacy
glass, front parking sensors, front seat heaters, illuminated entry,
step and step cover, power tilt-telescopic adjustment for steering
column, sun visor extension, high gloss and metal look instrument
panel, chrome interior door handles and time-delay lights. It also
has access to the same advanced safety option as the five door top of
the line Prado Kakadu.
Verdict: Superb vehicle that gives
buyers options not currently available in the three-door serious 4WDsegment. Because of the three doors
it's not for everyone but will find a niche market, which Toyota
expects will be less than 10 per cent of all Prado sales.
MODEL RANGE
5 Door Wagon
GX turbo-diesel manual
$55,990
GXL petrol manual
$60,990
GXL turbo-diesel manual
$61,990
VX petrol auto
$74,490
VX turbo-diesel auto
$75,490
Kakadu petrol auto
$87,990
Kakadu turbo-diesel auto
$88,990
3 Door
SX turbo-diesel auto
$55,990
ZR turbo-diesel auto
$65,990
FEATURES
ABS
Brakes: standard
Air
Conditioning: standard
Automatic
Transmission: standard
CD
Player: standard
Central
Locking: standard
Cruise
Control: standard
Dual
Front Airbags: standard
Front
Side Airbags: standard
Stability
Control: standard
Traction
Control: standard
SPECIFICATIONS
(Three door Prado)
ENGINE:
Capacity:
3.0 litres
Configuration:
four in line
Head
Design: 16 valve DOHC
Compression
Ratio: 17.9:1
Bore/Stroke:
96.0 mm x 103.0 mm
Maximum
Power: 127 kW @ 3400 rpm
Maximum
Torque: 410 Nm @ 1600 – 2800 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven
Wheels: Constant 4WD
Manual
Transmission: N/A
Automatic
Transmission: Five speed
Final
Drive Ratio: 3.909
DIMENSIONS,
WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length:
4485 mm
Wheelbase:
2455 mm
Width:
1885 mm
Height:
1875 mm
Turning
Circle: 10.4 metres
Kerb
Mass: 2095 – 2145 kg
Fuel
Tank Capacity: 87 litres (main tank) 63 litres sub fuel
Towing
Ability: 3000 kg (kg with braked trailer)
CLEARANCES
Ground:
210 mm
Approach angle: 32.0 degrees
Departure angle: 26.0 degrees
Ramp-over angle: 25.0 degrees
Max. wading depth: 700 mm
SUSPENSION
AND BRAKES:
Front
Suspension: Independent with upper and lower wishbones, coil springs,
gas dampers.
Rear
Suspension: Live axle, five link system upper and lower trailing
arms, coil springs, gas dampers.
Front
Brakes: Ventilated discs, four piston calipers
Rear
Brakes: Ventilated discs, single piston floating calipers
PERFORMANCE:
0-100
km/h Acceleration: N/A seconds
FUEL
CONSUMPTION:
Type:
Diesel
Combined
Cycle (ADR 81/01): 8.3 L/100km
GREEN
VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse
Rating: 6/10
Air
Pollution Rating: 3/10
STANDARD
WARRANTY:
3
years/ 100,000 km
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