 | The Toyota Prado is Toyota's premium 5-door, 8-seater presentation in the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) segment. It is a rugged and powerful petrol powered vehicle. The ruggedly built Prado presents awesome engine power, superior handling and terrain hugging abilities for rough rides. It handles equally confidently in city conditions too. This model also has excellent safety features to prevent injury to occupants in case of an accident or collision.
Toyota offered the smaller and newer of the two Land Cruisers, a genuine off-roader, with body-on-frame construction, switchable four-wheel drive and a pair of huge engines. There is an excellent diesel on its way, but for now, Toyota has launched only a massive 4.0-litre V6 petrol, which has a fearsome 235bhp and 36.9kgm of pull. It has been one of the most sought after status symbols coveted by politicians, film stars, industrialists and celebrities in India for a long time. The big, toothy grille, subtle-but-evident body armour and the sheer volume of the car are enough to scare off all other road users. The downside is that the Prado feels cumbersome through traffic and nerve-racking to park, accentuated by the wide turning circle. The huge dashboard, large Multiple Information Display and chunky fittings feel very reassuring, and the seats are wide and comfortable. Also, very little noise filters through, and is very well kitted, with a full range of airbags, dual-zone climate control and heated, powered seats. Its 235PS max power coming in at 5200rpm and 362Nm of max torque at 3800rpm flexing muscle through every bulge, the Prado is the largest and most powerful SUV in the country. Acceleration is sharp, nothing short of a tuned performance car, this in spite of the 5-speed auto box with all time four-wheel drive with transfer modes. There is barely any shift lag associated with this automatic making this auto box one of the smoothest trannies we have come across. Prado remains stable, executing superb control and traction especially at higher speeds. Even the suspension package which employs electronic controlled air suspension rounds with conventional double wishbone at the front and a 4-link type suspension with lateral rod at the rear ensures that the vehicle remains unfluttered over bad surfaces while it keeps you luxuriating in the superior ride.
New cars in this series have a showroom price ranging from around Rs. 40.3 lakhs to around Rs. 47.25 lakhs in addition to other charges such as RTO, and insurance.
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