As an entry-level off-road vehicle under Toyota, the Prado has a good performance in road comfort and special road passability, and the previous old model has a good reputation and sales in China. At the beginning of this year, the new Prado was launched, and the shape has changed from the rounded design of the old model to become more atmospheric and masculine. The interior space has also been used more efficiently, with the third-row seats no longer crowding the storage space in the trunk. Whether Prado can continue its glory or not, the answer should be found in the article.
The model of this static experience is the imported Prado 2.7L automatic luxury version, which has a certain gap with the domestic Prado 4.0L model in terms of engine, transmission, four-wheel drive structure and electronic equipment.
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● Appearance: The lines are tougher
If I had to sum up the changes in the shape of the new Prado in one word, I think toughness would be the perfect fit. Whether it is the lines of the body or the shape of the front and rear headlight clusters, the new Prado is transmitting such a signal. The sleek curves of the previous model have been replaced by powerful straight lines.
The front and rear light clusters are the most noticeable changes, and the headlights of the new Prado have obvious Toyota new family characteristics, which feel like pulling the headlights of the Camry up. The taillights continue the classic triangular design of the previous generation, but the shape of the light clusters has also become square.
The size of the body has also changed, compared to the old model, the length of the new Prado has been reduced, which is related to the elimination of the suspended spare tire, and the reduction in height and the increase in width have improved the stability of the vehicle. All imported Prado models are not equipped with sunroofs, and many models in the same price range have begun to be equipped with panoramic sunroofs. The new six-spoke wheels are more stylish, but the tyres don't change the brand and size.
The tailgate, which is without a suspended spare tire, opens with a lot more effort, but it also gives the rear a little less of the wild nature of an off-roader. The reversing camera system of the Prado Automatic Deluxe is not equipped with a ranging radar, so there is only a rear image and no distance warning sound when reversing, which we believe does not conform to the user's habits. The glass window at the rear can be opened with a button, eliminating the need to open the trunk for small items. ● Central control interior: touch LCD screen with rich functions 14-speaker audio is very advanced
The central control design of the new Prado is mainly practical, although there are no cool or luxurious elements, but the solid materials and fine workmanship still give people a very comfortable feeling. There are many buttons for various functions, but they don't feel like they're at a loss when placed properly.
The new Prado's four-spoke steering wheel adds silver trim strips to make the overall feel more dynamic. The steering wheel is wrapped in leather, which is the right thickness to hold and has a good feel. Compared to the old model, the new steering wheel also integrates audio control and Bluetooth phone functions. The gearbox is still the same 4-speed automatic transmission of the old model, while the domestic new Prado has been upgraded to a 5-speed automatic manual transmission.
The center console is meticulously crafted, the surface is covered with soft materials, and an interior viewing mirror is placed where the glasses case should be, through which it can better observe the situation of the rear passengers. The visor is very practical, and when closed, the storage clip on it can hold some bills or cards, and the effect of the visor is also ideal when fully opened.
There is a set of control buttons on the left and right sides of the steering wheel, and the left side is the rearview mirror and headlight adjustment, and it is worth mentioning that the Prado also has an electric mirror folding function, which is convenient and face-saving when meeting cars on narrow roads. The two buttons on the right are closely related to safety, starting in 2nd gear for snow and ice, and the stability system to prevent the car from losing control. The four-wheel drive mode under the center console is switched to a knob type, which is more convenient to use than the mechanical handle of the previous generation.
The LCD screen in the middle is a touch design, which is more intuitive and simple to operate than those knobs and joysticks, and its functions are also rich, such as navigation, Bluetooth phone, DVD playback and other functions. Under the LCD screen is the air conditioning control area, Prado uses dual-zone automatic air conditioning, and the main and co-pilots can adjust the temperature they need separately.
In addition to the 6-disc DVD playback system, Prado has also added AUX and USB interfaces, which are very popular among young people, which is also an aspect of Prado's youthfulness. The Prado's powerful sound system is one of the highlights of the Prado, with a total of 14 speakers from front to back, providing an excellent audio-visual experience. ● Riding space and comfort: manual seat adjustment is unacceptable
For an off-road vehicle that can accommodate 7 people and reach a height of 1865mm, there is no need to worry about the space at all, and when the 175cm tall editor adjusts to a suitable sitting position, there is still nearly two fists of room for the head from the roof.
Although the space performance is good, for a model close to 500,000 yuan, the seat only has 6-way manual adjustment and electric lumbar support adjustment, which is a little incomprehensible. The seat has excellent wrapping and sufficient lateral support, which can effectively fix the driver's body on bumpy roads.
The space in the second row of seats is also excellent, with the front row adjusted to the right position and sitting in the second row, with more headroom than a fist away from the roof, and more legroom, with more than three fists between the knee and the front seat. In addition to the ample space, the backrests of the three seats in the second row can be adjusted individually, which undoubtedly increases the comfort of rear passengers when traveling long distances.
The Prado also has a good performance in passive safety configuration, with the whole car equipped with front and side airbags for the main and co-pilot, knee airbags for the driver's position and integrated front and rear airbags on both sides, a total of seven airbags. Rear passengers also have their own independent automatic air conditioning system, which can set the temperature and wind speed of the air conditioner by themselves.
For a 7-seater off-road vehicle, we don't need to worry too much about the space in the first two rows, and the experience of the third row of seats is the focus, let's take a look at the experience of using the third row of seats in the new Prado. ● Detailed experience of the third row of seats: ingenious design and easy to use
Since we want to talk about the detailed experience of the third row of seats, of course, we must first talk about how to open it. In fact, the opening method of the third row of seats is very simple, only two steps are required. The first step is to pull up the back of the seat from the trunk, and the second step is to go back to the front of the seat and pull the cushion out from under the back.
After repeated attempts, we found that the seat on the right side of the second row can be pulled to a more forward position than the left side, so it will be more relaxed to get into the car from the right door in the third row. When you pull the right-hand seat of the second row to the front position, you don't need to fully recline the seat back to easily get into the rear.
It took a lot of effort to sit in.,The space inside is really not very spacious.,Hair has rubbed to the roof of the car.,Knees have also pushed up to the front seats.,This kind of space is not very suitable for adult men to ride.,If you change to a girl of about 160cm, it should be acceptable.。
The rear seat space is indeed unsatisfactory, but this does not mean that the Prado does not pay attention to the feelings of the third-row passengers, who also enjoy three-point seat belts, independent cup holders and air conditioning outlets, which can be regarded as a kind of compensation for the sacrifice of the third row passengers.
With the third row of seats open, the storage space in the Prado trunk is almost zero, so after a full load of 7 people, you should quickly retract the third row of seats. Putting away the third row of seats is also a two-step process, first pick up the mechanism next to the seat, the chair cushion can be automatically retracted, and then pick up the switch on the back of the seat, and the back of the seat can be restored to the original. ● Storage space: Abundant storage space Car refrigerators are very useful in summer
From the perspective of daily storage, the new Prado performs decently, with good storage space in the door panels and armrest boxes, and when it comes to putting some large items, the Prado with the second-row seats folded down has a spacious flat floor that can create a maximum storage depth of 1900mm.
The Prado front door panels have wide and deep storage slots and separate cup holder positions. The two cup holders in the middle position are equipped with a limiting mechanism, which is very practical. The biggest highlight is the center armrest box in the front row, which turns on the refrigeration switch and becomes a car refrigerator that can hold 4 bottles of beverages.
Second-row passengers also have plenty of storage space, and the rear door panel storage slots aren't as spacious as the front ones, but they still hold two bottles. The rear center armrest also has two cup holders with a limit mechanism, and it would be nice if there was a storage box on the center armrest.
The storage capacity of the Prado's trunk has been greatly improved compared to the previous generation, thanks to the newly designed third row of seats that can be tucked away in the floor, and when the third row of seats are stowed, you will hardly even notice that it is a seven-seater model. And when the second row of seats is also folded down, it can form a flat space of about two square meters.
The hydraulic lever of the Prado tailgate can be locked by twisting, which can effectively prevent accidental injuries caused by accidentally closing the door, which is not too costly but very considerate. Another small highlight is a 220V AC power supply in the trunk, which is very convenient to connect some small appliances.
Full Text Summary:
The changes of the new Prado are mainly in the shape and interior configuration, the new Prado has redesigned the front and rear light clusters, and the angular new light clusters have made the Prado more fashionable and more masculine. Although the spare wheel is placed under the car, it makes the rear of the car less game-savvy, but it also improves the durability of the vehicle. The newly designed central control does not have many highlights, and is mainly practical. The biggest improvement is probably the improvement in space utilization, with the new third-row seats being able to be tucked away in the floor when not in use, without taking up space in the trunk. However, the most important thing to buy a Prado is its performance, so let's take a look at how the 2.7-liter Prado with a central differential lock will perform on and off-road. I have the impression that the Prado is a symbol of strength and reliability, and it seems that the car has always been there, it has never changed, and there has never been the slightest doubt about its excellent off-road performance. However, it was not until this test that it was discovered that the original perception of this car was legendary, and today there is finally a chance to actually verify its performance, and systematic four-wheel drive testing is naturally indispensable.
But first, let's take a look at its day-to-day driving performance. The imported version of the Prado is equipped with a 2.7-liter inline-four engine. It looks the same as the Highlander 2.7 engine, but there are still some differences. The domestic Highlander uses an engine codenamed 1AR-FE, while the Prado engine is codenamed 2TR-FE. In fact, the technology of this engine on the imported Prado is not as advanced as that on the Highlander, the Highlander's 1AR-FE has begun to be equipped with dual VVT-i, while the Prado's 2TR-FE is a single VVT-i, and the power is slightly inferior. It has a maximum power of 120 kilowatts (about 163 horsepower) and a maximum torque of 246 Nm.
The engine is paired with a 4-speed automatic gearbox, which is clearly not designed for road use. Four-speed gearbox technology is more reliable and also avoids the frequent gear changes at low speeds, which are required for off-road vehicles.
In fact, there is no lack of power at the normal start, the engine revs are still upshifting between 2,000 and 3,000 rpm, and the Prado's suppression of engine noise is very good, so it seems to give the impression of being relatively light. At the same time, the shift process of the four-speed gearbox is also extremely smooth, of course, the power output is already very soft, and it is difficult to be aggressive.
This can be felt in the mid-course acceleration process, where it will take a lot of effort to overtake at 80 km/h. The moment you press the throttle deeply, the gearbox will downshift aggressively, and the engine will quickly rise to the optimal rev range, but the actual acceleration is very limited, and the huge Prado seems to be slowly "leisurely" by a distant external force.
Driving this "professional" off-road vehicle, you must enjoy the feeling of being on top, Prado adopts a non-load-bearing body structure, because it is far away from the running mechanism, it is basically isolated from the vibration of the road when driving, as if floating in the air. In this way, it can be given almost a perfect score in terms of comfort.
But at the same time, Prado has completely abandoned the road sense of control. The Prado's steering wheel, accelerator and brakes are the hallmark of most Toyota cars, that is, they are on the light side, and the feedback from the steering wheel is basically the same in any state, giving the driver no chance to communicate with the car at all.
It's really rewarding to be able to handle such a big guy in such an easy way, as if everything is under control, and the only downside is that the power is a little hard. Of course, everyone knows that its home field is in the wild, so what is its off-road performance?◆ H4F:
Prado's central differential is a Torsen limited-slip differential, which is a full-time four-wheel drive state during daily driving, and the torque is distributed in the ratio of 40 to 60 in the rear, and the torque distribution ratio between the front and rear axles can reach a maximum of 29:71 in the event of skidding.
◆ H4L：
The center differential locks in the H4L shift, which is now rigidly connected and rotates at the same speed on the front and rear axles. However, turning at low speeds will be difficult at this time and can only be used on unpaved roads.
◆ L4L:
The L4L is a low-speed all-wheel drive mode with an additional 2.566:1 reduction ratio from the transfer case. This is equivalent to amplifying the torque by a factor of 2.566.
As you can see, the Prado's all-wheel drive system is roughly the same as that of the Land Cruiser and FJ Cruiser, both based on a rear-wheel drive layout, with power distributed to the front and rear axles via a central transfer case. Prado's all-wheel drive system has the potential of a professional off-road vehicle, but it also leaves us with suspense, because its front and rear axles only use ordinary open differentials, so if one wheel slips can only be compensated for by electronic braking, then the cross-axle project will be a big test for it.
First of all, we experimented with the cross-axle project in H4F mode, with the Prado's left front and right rear wheels on the pulley, and if we continued to press the accelerator, we would only see the two wheels that had lost their grip slipping wildly, and there was no sign of electronic braking limiting.
Next up is the H4L mode, where the center differential locks up, but the lack of a limited-slip device between the left and right wheels makes little difference in the cross-axle category.
In the end, all hope was pinned on the L4L gear, and the stability control system automatically turned off when we switched to this gear, which seemed to be a very strong and professional state, but we were still disappointed in the crossaxle project - no different from the previous two times, and we couldn't get out of it at all.
Test Video:
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Through the above three tests, we have to come to the conclusion that the imported Prado 2.7 model does not have any inter-wheel slip device, and it cannot pass the cross-axle project with normal driving methods.
To be honest, this is not the result we want to see, because the Prado has always been the image of a professional dirt bike in people's minds, and even if it is not at the level of the Land Cruiser, it should at least get a passing score in the classic exam like cross-axle, but the reality is that its performance does not have any will to overcome difficulties. It seems that it is unrealistic to want the imported Prado 2.7 to reach the level of the Land Cruiser or LX570. If you want stronger off-road performance, you still have to choose the domestic 4.0 model equipped with a rear axle differential lock.
◆ Accelerated Testing:
In the acceleration test, the weak power of the 2.7L engine was exposed. The car was surprisingly safe at the start, the engine was ruthlessly suppressed in the low rev range, and the climb was particularly long. On the other hand, the four-speed gearbox with sparse gear ratios is not very good for acceleration in this less powerful car. Therefore, it is not surprising that Prado accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 14.83 seconds.
◆ Brake Results:
Weak acceleration may not be a problem for some people, and braking should not be ambiguous in any way. Prado behaved competently at this point. Although the braking stance may seem a bit unsettling due to the high body, it only takes 42.85 meters to brake from 100 km/h to a standstill, and the braking has been stable at around 43 meters, which is already a very good result.
● Summary:
Judging from the comprehensive test results, the performance of the imported Prado 2.7 is somewhat embarrassing. In terms of on-road performance, the weak dynamics and the chassis of a professional off-road vehicle do not provide a pleasant driving experience, and the lack of inter-wheel slip devices on the front and rear axles makes off-road performance much compromised. Compared to its price of more than 400,000 yuan, we have every reason to choose other models.
In this regard, you never have to worry about Toyota, a car manufacturer, because its products can always attract many consumers' desire to buy, Prado's delicate humanized design, spacious space, comfortable driving experience, strong body shape and the reputation of "domineering" in the Chinese market are the attraction of this car, so in any case, the import of Prado 2.7 still has its reason for existence.