Toyota Land Cruiser Prado explored for India, may be launched in 2025

The recently unveiled Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is set to arrive in India in the second half of next year, Autocar India can confirm. This latest-generation SUV made its global debut last year and is being introduced slowly in international markets. 

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado will sit below the LC300 in India

The new Land Cruiser Prado is also sold as the Land Cruiser 250 in some markets. It is also Toyota's flagship product in markets like North America and the United Kingdom, where the full-size Land Cruiser 300 is not available. In India, the SUV will most likely carry the Land Cruiser Prado moniker, as India also gets the Land Cruiser 300, just like the Australian and Middle Eastern markets.

The new Land Cruiser Prado is internally known as the JC250, and according to the brand, it provides improved on- and off-road technology. It continues to sit on ladder frame architecture, and its chassis is said to be 50 percent more rigid than that of its predecessor, with the entire body-on-frame assembly being approximately 30 percent stiffer.

The new Land Cruiser Prado is 4,920mm in length and 1,870mm in height and has a wheelbase of 2,850mm. The J250 is slightly larger than its predecessor and it's also roomier. It gets a completely redesigned cabin that incorporates more features and tech. The SUV gets chunky physical controls, with a lot of switchgear shared with the Land Cruiser 300. It also comes with multi-zone climate control, plush leather upholstery, and a wraparound digital display with a new-generation infotainment system. The feature-rich content of the new Prado will help Toyota take on the Land Rover Defender, its direct rival in most global markets.
 
Toyota states that the new Land Cruiser Prado offers enhanced all-terrain capability, featuring increased wheel articulation, an upgraded Multi-Terrain Monitor interface, and improvements to the off-road driving modes among the key upgrades designed to boost its performance in this area. It also includes a disconnecting front anti-roll bar, which can be disengaged via a switch on the dashboard to allow for maximum wheel articulation on particularly challenging off-road courses.



New Land Cruiser Prado: powertrain details

For the European, Japanese, Middle Eastern and Australian markets, the new Land Cruiser Prado comes with the same 2.8-litre diesel engine that powers the Fortuner SUV in India. This engine, mated to an 8-speed automatic, will get a 48V MHEV mild-hybrid powertrain by 2025. Toyota recently announced that it is testing an MHEV-equipped Hilux mated to the same 2.8-litre diesel engine.

In some markets, such as North America and the Middle East, the SUV comes with a 2.4-litre petrol engine with a hybrid powertrain – this is the same engine that powers multiple Toyota and Lexus models globally.

The new Land Cruiser Prado will be introduced in India as a CBU, just like the LC300. Expect more details on the India-bound SUV to be revealed as the launch nears.