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Toyota's new Land Cruiser Prado has arrived in South Africa just weeks after its international debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Toyota calls it a "clean sheet design" and says it has an all-steel body mounted on a ladder frame.

Guidelines

Changes in overall size were kept to a minimum to retain the Prado's good handling and approach and departure angles, at 32 degrees and 24 degrees respectively, are the same as the previous generation model.

One change to the cabin that is likely to be both noticed and welcomed is the addition of sliding second row seats to increase leg room and provide "walk-in" entry for the third row for passengers. The floor level around the third row - which can be folded flat when not in use - has been lowered to provide more foot space and increase comfort.

Power

The Prado will initially be available in the top-of-the-range, VX 7-seat specification with a choice of four-litre V6, or three-litre turbo diesel engines.

The four-litre, aluminium V6 generates maximum power of 202kW at 5600 rpm and torque of 381Nm at 4400rpmn. This is a gain on the previous engine's 179kW and 376Nm.

The three-litre diesel turns out 120kW at 3400rpm and peak torque of 400Nm. It uses a highly-responsive turbocharger that adjusts flow rate and pressure of exhaust gas through the, allowing turbo boost pressure to be precisely controlled.

The Prado uses a five-speed, electronically controlled automatic transmission with new technology increases the operating range of its lock-up clutch to boost fuel economy. The system also gauges road conditions and prevents unnecessary shifts to a higher gear and optimises engine braking when the vehicle goes downhill.

Crawl, then run

The transmission drives a full time, four-wheel drive system, whose floor-mounted transfer shift lever has been replaced with a simple control switch. The system also uses Toyota's "Crawl" technology that prevents wheels from spinning or locking on difficult terrain.

New to the Prado, says Toyota, is the ability to easily set up the vehicle for different terrain types.

"Selecting one of the four available modes that best matches the terrain being negotiated prompts the system to provide easy to understand guidance while optimising throttle and brake control. This system allows even inexperienced off-road drivers to successfully negotiate the roughest off-road terrain," Toyota says.