Get into the car blindfolded and you will be able to say it is a Toyota. No, that is not a negative statement – the touch and feel of materials is top notch and your ears will appreciate the noises made by the doors, indicator switches, and of course, the entertainment system. There is no overload of technology to be seen either, but there are indications that the Prado is in touch with today’s technology. So you can adjust the ride height and select a whole lot of four-wheel drive permutations. I don’t know whether I will miss it in other cars, but the ‘smart accessory meter’ which tells the outside temperature, atmospheric pressure, altitude (trust me), and the optional shift-on-the-fly one-touch wings made me feel like the pilot I always wanted to be. Alright, I made up the wings part, but the rest is complimentary with all Prados along with a clock, compass, fuel economy meter and an average speed calculator (can we take it to the next TSD Raid, Toyota?). An air-damper inside the glove box completes the perfection-overkill somewhat. In short, you need to have a serious problem with the Toyota badge for you to find fault with its interior, and even then you may come up with a tame ‘maybe the elasticity of the knick-knack netting could’ve been better’ line. So!
The Prado gets a silky smooth, Lexus-derived V6 powerpack that makes an immodest 235 bhp at 5200 rpm and 38.7 kgm of torque at 3800 rpm. If only it drank diesel! Again, I really don’t know the logic, but Toyota has decided that the only engine India needs today is one that sips petrol and spews out sheer contempt for the competition through its exhaust pipe. Now, I love this motor. Before you can say ‘the Suzuki Grand Vitara V6 XL-7 is also fun to drive,’ you are cruising at 150 kph with your inner voice telling you that you are crossing your abilities.
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