Toyota is giving its venerable Land Cruiser Prado yet another refresh this 2018. First launched in 2009, the fourth-generation (J150) model offers a more modern and robust exterior styling, higher quality interior design, and improvements to its user-friendliness both on- and off-road.

The 2018 Land Cruiser Prado takes new styling elements which are functional as they are aesthetically pleasing. All the cooling openings have been moved to offer maximized protection and increased wading depth. The hood has been sculpted to offer better downward visibility at the center while kinking upward at the sides to help the driver judge the corners of the vehicle. Meanwhile, the bumper is reshaped to form like a skid plate at the center while moving upward at the sides for a better approach angle. It has also been sharply trimmed to offer a 31-degree approach angle.


Tying nicely to a design first seen in its larger Land Cruiser brother, the headlights on the Land Cruiser Prado have slit-shaped cooling openings finished in chrome and now come with the option of LED illumination with LED daytime running lights. They have also been pushed more inboard to avoid damage from obstacles while off-roading.

Towards the back, the Land Cruiser Prado gets a redesigned taillamp cluster with LED stop lights and a smaller rear garnish plate incorporated within the number plate surround. The rear bumper has also been restyled to give it a 25-degree departure angle.

Overall length has been increased by 60 millimeters while wheel sizes go from 17 to 19 inches. Ground clearance is at 215 millimeters while maintaining its relatively maneuverable 5.8-meter turning radius.


Inside, the Land Cruiser Prado benefits from a revised dashboard with new designs for the instrument binnacle and center console. The center console itself has been lowered for a sleeker appearance and improved visibility while incorporating a new and larger 8-inch multimedia screen, flush-surface air conditioning panel, and drivetrain-related instrument cluster. Moreover, the center console is cushioned with soft pads while “silver hairline” texture creates the appearance of sculpted metal.

The instrumentation itself is new. The four-gauge instrument cluster features LED backlighting with a metallic base panel and spin-polished dials. A new 4.2-inch TFT color display is sandwiched in the middle acting as a multi-information display.

The new interior design is complimented by a new steering wheel borrowed from the larger Land Cruiser model while white illumination is now used not just on the instrument panel, but on the center console, door switchgear, foot well, headliner, and glovebox. Ventilated front seats are now available as an option.


On the mechanical side, the Land Cruiser Prado gets a 177-horsepower, 450 Nm 2.8-liter D-4D engine mated to a 6-speed automatic. 0-100 km/h takes 12.7 seconds onwards to a top speed of 175 km/h. Meanwhile, a 2.7-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with 161 horsepower and 246 Nm of torque is also available as is the 4.0-liter VVT-i V6 engine with 249 horsepower and 381 Nm of torque.

Higher grade models of the Land Cruiser Prado also receives a new suite of safety technology. Dubbed “Toyota Safety Sense” it offers a set of active safety technologies designed to help prevent or mitigate collisions across a wide range of traffic situations.

Combining a camera and millimeter-wave radar for a high level of detection performance, the Land Cruiser Prado’s Toyota Safety Sense system features a Pre-Collision System (PCS) with a Pedestrian Detection function, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Departure Alert (LDA), and Automatic High Beam (AHB) technology.

Further driver support and safety enhancing systems include a Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) with Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and an upgraded Tire Pressure Warning System (TPWS).


Available in more than 190 countries worldwide, the Land Cruiser Prado offers unrivalled off-road abilities that have earned it a rock-solid reputation as one of the world’s toughest and most reliable 4x4s. Apart from Europe, this refreshed Land Cruiser Prado has also been announced for the Japanese market. Markets such as the Philippines will likely receive this updated model sometime in 2018.