We Drove Our Toyota Landcruiser Prado 2025 Through A River So You Don’t Have To

The Toyota land cruiser Prado has been around through many iterations since 1990. The last major upgrade was 2009. Now with a new model, new chassis and new design, Toyota is keen to show the motoring world what the new Prado can achieve in a range of conditions. Bring on two days of diverse driving with the team of motoring journalists spread across the whole range of cars. This was going to be fun.

Day One. I get up at a brisk hour to fly to Christchurch, where I meet the rest of the crew and head to Toyota’s showroom. Guided by the top brass we look through the different models of the brand new vehicle. It’s definitely quite striking. And it’s a departure from the previous model of Prado, which had reached quite a roundy shape. Not any more, the design aesthetic harks back to classic land cruisers and even a bit of FJ. It’s a purposeful squared off look without being too boxy. A little homage to the past, but there’s no mistaking this for anything other than the latest thing to hit the showroom. Prado is large but not huge, and this latest generation has squared off the edges a little more to give you a very good understanding of where the corners of the vehicle are, which is important in traffic and in the car park, but it’s essential when you take it off-road.

Grades include GXL, Vx, Vx limited and my favorite, the Adventure. New Zealand colours cover black, white, smokey blue, sand, dark graphite, and bronze. The different options offer varying levels of trim. Yet even the base grade is a highly featured vehicle with excellent electronic drivers instruments and a sense of central screen that does everything that you expect. Some of the biggest smiles were reserved for when we got to see that this car has many buttons, buttons for controlling air conditioning, ventilation and driving modes. All models share the 150 KW 500 NM 2.8l hybrid diesel.

After coffee we were assigned a vehicle and a driving partner. I’m paired with Sam who proves to be entertaining and also full of bush knowledge. We get on the road and as we drive out of the city, it’s a good time to assess the road capabilities of the Prado. You know you are in a large vehicle, but the engine pulls it along effortlessly; it handles like a large, comfortable road car. We drive 140K via Old West Coast Road to Arthur’s pass, where we stop at the beautifully placed Bealey Hotel for lunch. Then get on our way to Lake Brunner for a very welcome fly fishing lesson. I’ve done tons of outdoor activities, but never this, so it’s a real treat. It turns out all of the other skills I’ve got in this area do not help me cast a good line, yet with about a half hour of practice, I can send it where I want it. My skills are not at the level that I’m trusted with a hook. That suits me.

Soon, we are on our way to the other end of Lake to Hotel Lake Brunner. We park up our fleet and head inside for a cozy meal and eat our fill because tomorrow’s going to be a big day. Over the meal there is the opportunity to hear from the Toyota team: Strategy, models, and what people want to buy – yes, the customer, customer needs! They talked about responsibility as one of the world’s largest manufacturers to provide a variety of drive trains, from petrol and diesel, through hybrids to full battery electric.

Day Two started a very relaxed briefing over breakfast. Driving the West coast of the South Island is a treat; it’s easy to go 30 minutes without seeing a car in the other direction. We must have looked a treat – seven or eight mostly identical vehicles traveling in convoy. The Prados gobbled up the miles, easily making short work of the 100 or so kilometers we needed to cover on road. I was able to test the driver aids like lane holding cruise control functions that easily make your drive more relaxing.

We drove to the Napoleon Hill four-wheel-drive track. That’s why we’re here – to put these vehicles to the test. At the head of the track we swapped drivers and cars, ensuring we were all able to drive all of the models over the two days. We engaged center diff lock and low ratio; this where the Prado shows its off road cred. It’s easy to throw a four-wheel drive onto a city SUV, but you mean business when you add low ratio. The track was an hour’s drive each way, crisscrossing a stunning river over river stone and a gorge with cascading ferns. The river was stained a dark sherry color from the tannin runoff from the ultra-dense foliage all around and we used all of the 700mm wading depth to ford the river several times.

The highlight of the track is taking the vehicles through an old gold mining tunnel. At the entry and exit, ferns brushed the car and 100 meters of tunnel deep in West Coast mountain leaves only millimeters of space for the vehicles. While you’re far out there, right deep in the bush, our guide tells us that just a little further up the river had been the settlement of Napoleon Hill. Population 600 of mostly gold panners and diggers, plus grocers, bars and apparently New Zealand’s first casino. Back then every person trekked up the river, which we’d just driven up in air-conditioned luxury. They did it on horseback or walked. What extraordinary people these early settlers were. Still, I’d rather have the Prado.

On reaching the top of the trail, or rather, as far as we could take the vehicles, we took some downtime, then swapped drivers and went back down the track. This time was a little speedier, and we wanted to see if we could challenge the vehicles. Could we beach them? Could we get them stuck? Could we make them struggle as they scrambled across the river stone. No was the answer. Not only could we not challenge the vehicle, but we were left with the serene sense of odd comfort as we headed back down the track, everything was easier than you expected to be. While I’m tempted to take credit as the driver, I think it might be the vehicle that flatters my ability. I perused mus, snow, gravel, but I just let automatic terrain selection do its own thing.

At the base of the trail we cancelled the off road modes for the short stint to a spot by a river for lunch. Then it was a pleasant road drive back to Nelson and the country changed from the rugged west coast to the more rolling East Coast terrain. The cars manage the distance with aplomb; it seems there’s nothing much you can throw at these vehicles that worries them at all.

All models are 2.8 litre 4 cylinder diesel hybrid with 8 speed auto transmission. Hybrids are always rather good to drive. You get the benefits of electric and fuel. In the case of an off-road vehicle, it makes a huge amount of sense. Diesels are naturally torquey and so is electric – so the 2.8 hybrid has ample grunt at low speeds. The electric system ensures the power delivery is smooth at all times. Let’s be honest, I barely thought about the engine, it just did exactly what I expected from it, but when I did try to test it, it was responsive and did everything I needed. It’s also very quiet. Toyota has been making progressive refined variations of this power plant for many years, a Toyota approach that delivers when you are seeking reliability.

If previous versions of the Prado tended towards suburban looks, this latest edition has firmly reminded us that Prado is a true all terrain vehicle. A more strident stance than the previous iteration, it looks like it means business, and it does. Even when deliberately trying to compromise traction or lift a wheel, suspension articulation angle and terrain modes ensured it just kept very calmly doing its thing. And it’s a comfortable, spacious place to be, and very relaxing.