The original Land Cruisers were rugged 4x4s with a decidedly unsympathetic ride. Many a spleen was split over bumps and humps in the road. But, that's all changed (and dare I say that the involvement of women in the motor industry seems to coincide with this...) and the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is not only rugged, but has become rather posh.

Women with wheels

Price: 3.0 VX Diesel - R637 900 4.0 VX Petrol - R650 000 Article Options Email to Friend Print Article Remove from Favorites Add to Favorites Remove from 'Articles to Read' Add to 'Articles to Read'

Earlier this week, Toyota took a group of female journalists up the West Coast to a 4x4 route called Klein Tafelberg, which is between Redelinghuys and Aurora. We were there for a couple of reasons. Firstly, to drive the brand-new Prado four-wheel drive and see what it's capable of - but possibly as importantly, to learn just how well we can drive off-road (with a bit of help from an instructor).

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado specs

The new Prado is much better looking, I think, than the previous model - and has a more refined air about it. We drove the 3.0 Diesel VX and the 4.0-litre V6 VX, both auto. The diesel was lovely - highway cruising and on the sandy 4x4 route (and a big improvement on the previous generation diesel engine). I felt the petrol lacked a bit of oomph, so would probably choose the diesel over the petrol if I had the choice.

Right now, the Prado is available in VX spec, which is the higher, more luxurious option. And luxurious it is, with a leather-and-wood steering wheel with audio, monitor/camera, multi-info display, Bluetooth and cruise control switches all mounted on it. Other standard features on the VX include auto rain sensing wipers, Satnav, steering angle display, electric rear diff lock, crawl control and the Multi-terrain Select with monitor.

360-degree view

A feature the techies will really appreciate on the VX is the Multi-terrain Monitor System. This has four cameras - front, back and sides - which give you a 360-degree idea of what's going on around you. Useful for parking and tricky manoeuvring.

Inside information

This is one of the easiest seven-seaters I've driven for a while, the last two seats pop up and down electronically - very slick indeed. The middle back passengers have plenty of room - adults included, even the long-legged variety. The rear passengers also have control over the climate, with their own controls situated between the seats. One feature that I loved, was the reclining rear seats - great for snoozing on long trips.

Terrain hopper

For the roughly 4 per cent of people who ever take their Prado off for some serious off-roading (can you believe that figure!), the Multi-terrain Select (MTS) and Crawl Control are trumps. There are four modes to suit various types of terrain, including mud and sand, rock, loose rock and moguls (compacted snow or sand) - and all you have to do is press a button and, as Toyota says, it 'controls the engine throttle inputs (power output) and brake pressure to individual wheels for the purpose of reducing the burden on the driver and providing a more comfortable ride when travelling off-road. Any tendency for the wheels to spin or lock is inhibited.'

Summary

The new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is a wonderfully capable vehicle that's comfortable cruising highways and laughs in the face of tough off-roading. The seven seat configuration is really nice, too. Right now, it's available in VX, the luxury spec model - but early next year, the TX will be available, at about R90 000 less, which will bring it more in line with its competitor, the Mitsubishi Pajero (from R508 000).

Quick facts

4.0 VX Petrol
Max power: 202 kW @ 5 600 rpm (up from 179 kW @ 5 200 rpm)
Max torque: 381 Nm @ 4 400 rpm (previously 376 Nm)

3.0 VX Diesel
Max power: 120 kW @ 3 400 rpm (up 25%)
Max torque: 400 Nm from 1 600 rpm - 2 800 rpm (up 17%)

Prices

3.0 VX Diesel - R637 900
4.0 VX Petrol - R650 000

Prices include a three-year or 100 000km warranty and a five-year or 90 000km service plan. Service intervals are 10 000km for both models.