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Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2023: momentum builds for hybrid-powered successor

 

With the current generation Land Cruiser Prado on sale since 2009, the time is fast approaching for a replacement and a hybrid engine looks to be on the cards


The new-generation Toyota Land Cruiser Prado large SUV will come with a fuel-sipping hybrid engine, reports say.

According to Japanese publication Spyder7, the fifth-generation Prado will be fitted with a new 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine paired with a grunty electric motor.

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2021 rear 3/4
Several reports have indicated the new-generation Land Cruiser Prado will receive a hybrid engine

The rumours apply to the Japanese market Prado but Toyota Australia has previously expressed interest in hybrid engines for its 4×4-style vehicles so it would likely be under consideration.

The publication also goes on to state that the 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine would produce 184kW, likely with the help of a turbocharger, though it’s not clear if the unit is petrol or diesel.

Combined with the electric motor, the total system output could be around 294kW – and likely backed by a fairly monstrous torque figure to boot.

Another key advantage will be the rumoured adoption of Toyota’s new TNGA platform, which will likely be an adapted version of the body-on-frame version known as TNGA-F which underpins the 300 Series Land Cruiser.

Toyota Tundra Platinum 2022 engine
Toyota already offers a hybrid engine in the US-market Tundra full-size ute

It’s not the first time we’ve heard murmurings of a hybrid option, with previous reports out of Japan pointing to a  2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine.

Globally, Toyota has already started to offer hybrid engine options on its off road vehicles starting with the US-market Tundra full-size ute that features a hybrid motor paired to the same 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol found in the 300 Series Land Cruiser.

Time will tell if these rumours come to fruition but with the fifth-generation Land Cruiser Prado expected to debut in 2023, we won’t have to wait long.