Will the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado adopt Hilux's hybrid engine in SA?
Toyota has announced the Land Cruiser Prado is 'powering into a new era', with the '250' series of the Japanese automaker's rugged go-anywhere SUV adopting the 2.8-litre mild-hybrid engine in the European market. However, perhaps of even more significance, is this unit is already available in Australia, a market that largely mirrors ours.
So, this made Car Magazine wonder: Will Toyota introduce this powertrain to the local Land Cruiser Prado lineup?
As a reminder, the new-generation Land Cruiser Prado, which Car Mag reviewed at the local launch in July 2024 and evaluated in a road test in the October 2024 issue of the magazine, was unveiled in 2023 with five (market-dependent) engine options:
207kW/430Nm 2.4-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol
243kW/630Nm 2.4-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol-hybrid
120kW/246Nm 2.7-litre, four-cylinder petrol
150kW/500Nm 2.8-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel
150kW/500Nm 2.8-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel 48 V mild-hybrid
More compact than the manufacturer's full hybrid system, the mild-hybrid setup comprises a larger, 48V, 4.3Ah lithium-ion battery pack and permanent magnet synchronous electric motor-generator, which operates with a two-arm belt tensioner that's been specifically designed for diesel powertrains. Noteworthy, the fitment of this arrangement doesn't compromise the Land Cruiser Prado's off-road capability. In addition, by way of the Hilux and Fortuner's unit, it offers a boost of 12kW/65Nm, while improving fuel consumption.
Now, as mentioned, in addition to being available with Toyota's best-selling bakkie and Fortuner in South Africa, considering the 48V mild-hybrid has been earmarked for European introduction in 2025 and, significantly, employed across the board in Australia, it doesn't seem unlikely that this powertrain could be introduced South Africa. However, if it does, indeed, make its way to the local Land Cruiser Prado lineup, we expect it will probably only be towards the end of 2025, or in 2026.
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