Toyota LandCruiser Prado to remain diesel

 

TOYOTA Australia announced this week that it will offer hybrid-only versions of its petrol vehicle ranges wherever possible, upping price points across affected ranges and leaving ICE power only to its sporty GR models – and its diesel-powered range.

 

For now, that means the incoming LandCruiser Prado will remain a diesel-only option, as will the HiLux light commercial utility, Granvia and HiAce vans, Coaster bus, LandCruiser 70 Series, and LandCruiser 300 Series.

 

As has been the case for some time, many of those ranges are subject to extended waiting times.

 

Toyota says that due to unprecedented global demand it is experiencing extended wait times across its model range, a point Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing, and franchise operations Sean Hanley says will not be aided by the addition of further hybrid options.

 

“There are no plans for a hybrid (version of the Prado for Australia) at this stage. The other part of the equation is that, if we wanted a right-hand drive version of that car, we’d have to do serious volume – you’d be talking Kluger-type volumes. That is the only way you can get an OE conversion to look at the business case,” he explained.

 

“It is actually a ‘performance hybrid’ … and we’re investigating whether that performance hybrid driveline is suitable for Prado and the way it is used in right-hand drive form in this country.

 

“While I do see hybrid as a tangible alternative for this vehicle at some point, we have to make sure it is the right engine for the kinds of things people in Australia will want to do with this product.

 

“I want to stress that we really haven’t confirmed that vehicle (Prado Hybrid) for Australia. It is something we are looking at, but it is not confirmed. It is, however, possible, that in the lifetime of this new generation that it could happen, and if it works for us, it is certainly something we’d be keen to look at.”

 

For now, the all-new LandCruiser Prado will be available only with a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine locally, and available with 48-volt mild hybrid (or V-Active) electrification.

 

The 250 Series LandCruiser Prado is set to launch in Australia imminently, priced from $72,500 plus on-road costs. The list price represents a significant increase over the starting price of the outgoing model, up to $12,500 depending on variant.

 

“The other discussion we are having internally is ‘how do we manage the extraordinary demand we’re going to have on Prado?’ and ‘how do we not get to a two-and-a-half year waiting list?’,” added Mr Hanley.

 

“We don’t want to go back down that road again on Prado. We want to be able to give customers definite dates and definite deliveries. We don’t want to oversell it.

 

“This is a learning (we have taken) from the past two years, but it’s an interesting dynamic. On one hand we have people talking about EVs and NVES, but on the other they are not understanding the customer who says ‘hey, I want those (diesel) products and lots of them’.

 

“It is an interesting position, and one we have to balance up.”

 

Mr Hanley said 48-volt HiLux (V-Active) sales have been progressing well with May sales of 1771 units (against a total of 5702 units), or 31 per cent of all model sales.

 

“It (HiLux V-Active) has been going very strong for us. It has a good take-up rate… and while it will feature in the all-new Prado, at this stage there is no further expansion planned for 48-volt technology across other model lines with that (2.8-litre) engine,” he confirmed.

 

The means the LandCruiser 70 Series, with its adapted HiLux driveline, Granvia, HiAce and HiAce Commuter will continue with turbo-diesel power.

 

Sales of those models have performed well across the first five months of the year with LandCruiser 70 Series recording 5030 unit sales within the Pick-Up/Cab-Chassis segment alongside 20,004 HiLux four-wheel drives.

 

Two-wheel drive HiLux sales total 2881 over the same period (with a mix of petrol and diesel powertrains).

 

For Granvia we find just 36 unit sales while HiAce has achieved 4487 unit sales over the same period.

 

HiAce Commuter clocked a total of 730 units sales over the first five months of 2024 while LandCruiser models (covering 300 Series and remaining 70 Series variants) totalled 6911 units.

 

The LandCrusier Prado has told 3472 units, well down on last year’s 5417, as buyers hold out for the all-new model.

 

Updating progress of V8-powered turbo-diesel LandCrusier 70 Series variants – whose waiting lists now extend beyond two years for some customers – Mr Hanley said Toyota Australia is working to fill those orders as soon as possible, but would not be drawn on when (or if) orders for V8-powered LC70 models would resume.

 

“We are filling V8 orders as we speak, which is good, and it’s a good thing for those customers who have been waiting – and we expect to be able to fill those (remaining) orders,” he remarked.

 

“At this stage, I have no clear vision of that (V8) order bank opening again anytime soon. We still have a way to go to clear what we’ve got (on back order), so I don’t foresee that order bank for V8 LandCruiser 70 Series opening any time soon.

 

“Four-cylinder on the other hand is definitely open and we are taking orders – and the take-up rate there is improving.”

 

When asked if he was confident about orders for V8-powered Landcruiser 70 Series models reopening at all, Mr Hanley said, “I don’t have an answer on reopening that order bank – I don’t see it in the foreseeable future.”