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Second generation Toyota LandCruiser Prado scores a wealth of new technology, bigger engines and more room in the rough and tumble fight for 4WD market supremacy

It is. Very good. As four-wheel drives go, the Prado is one of the best for the money. And the refinements on the model are mostly under the skin, out of sight, but definitely front of mind.

The interior is of an impressively high quality and presents very well. Instrument dials are big and easy to read, and buttons and controls are clearly marked, well placed and easy to use. The driver’s seat adjusts for reach, height and rake, and the steering wheel adjusts for tilt. In typical Toyota fashion, there’s no shortage of storage cubby holes or cupholder

Perhaps the headliner of the Prado story is the bigger V6 engine residing under the bonnet. The new, all-alloy 4.0lt V6 is the first of a modular generation that’ll go into other Toyota commercials, and whose technology is also planned for passenger cars, perhaps Camry or Avalon.

In the Prado, this engine produces 179kW of power and 376Nm of torque, an increase of around 36 percent and 24 percent respectively on the old 3.4lt V6, and enough for Toyota to claim best-in-class power figures.

The LandCruiser Prado is the first Toyota car to have a hill start technology, which stops the vehicle rolling backwards on an ascent. Toyota’s mass of computers holds the brakes and applies the power to keep the vehicle still while waiting for you to reapply power. Toyota claimed this as a world first at the Prado launch, something that Subaru would no doubt be interested in, since its vehicles have had a hill holder for close to two decades. And, don’t forget Cadillac, which pioneered a hill start system in the 1960s.

Is it better than a Pajero, Pathfinder or Discovery? Hard to know without testing all four back-to-back, but even without that we’ve seen enough to know Prado should certainly be on every large four-wheel drive buyers’ shopping list. Try looking here Used Toyota Cars for Sale Kerry to find what you want.

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