Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Kakadu

The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado has long held the mantle of the most popular SUV in its class in Australia.However the Prado's reign is coming under serious attack by rival offroader Jeep.
The Prado had an 18% market share for March 2014, but the Jeep Cherokee is fast catching up with 14.5% share, thanks to an ongoing aggressive marketing campaign.
In March, Jeep sold just under 1400 Cherokees and Prado 1700.
While the Prado has seven seats, the Cherokee has just five, but that doesn't seem to matter to a lot of buyers, who don't need the extra seats, nor the rugged Toyota's off road capabilities..
This is the Prado Kakadu, the most expensive model at around 93 K.
It's jam packed with features that justify its price tag.
For example, other SUVs with seven seats require a bit of manual fiddling with levers and straps to raise the rear pews. The Prado's are electrically operated by buttons next to the second row of seats. Another set of the same buttons can be found next to the tailgate door.

           

The seats raise in about 30 seconds or so, but as always, the leg room is tight and seats six and seven are suitable for small children only. You also get a sunroof, blind spot warnings in the wing mirrors, active radar cruise control, a console coolbox to keep your drinks and other chilled items in,sat nav, and headlight washers. The test Kakadu also had side steps for easier access to the cabin.
The  Prado's steering is direct and quite firm, but not overly so. You'll know you're driving a fairly hefty vehicle.
Fully adjustable rear air suspension keeps the Prado ride height at the desired level and tracking truly on any surface.The bright bi- xenon headlights are automatically adjusted according to passenger and luggage loads.
I found the low beam setting quite high, bordering on the spread of a normal high beam, that seemed to almost dazzle oncoming traffic at night. I trusted they would adjust and they did, but I still had doubts they were not bothering other drivers.  
In comfort mode the Prado's ride has a floaty feel to it, which I didn't find objectionable and bumps were absorbed with ease. If you need to corner a bit more enthusiastically, the sport mode stiffens everything up. Considering its bulk, the Kakadu handles most corners without drama or too much body roll.
There's plenty of power from the three litre four cylinder turbo diesel....127 kw and  410 nm. Even hauling its 2240 kg weight the Prado doesn't disgrace itself away from the traffic lights. The engine is not as quiet as some in the segment while driving around town, but on the highway it is relatively silent. 
Economy is pretty good, averaging just under 9 litres per 100 kilometres, giving a range of around 1700 kilometres from its 150 litre fuel tank.
Driver and front passengers have the traditional "commanding" view over the vast bonnet.

The large and chunky central console has been redesigned and is filled with easy to access and understand buttons for traction adjustment, climate control and entertainment functions. The sound system is good and also includes, as other vehicles have in this blog, a digital radio. This one is from JBL and feeds into 17 speakers. 

The front and rear seats are heated and the driver's has two position memory settings. They are very comfortable and few would complain about the multitude of adjustments available. When leaving the Prado the electronically adjustable steering wheel slides closer to the dashboard to make exit ( and entry) easier. There's also keyless entry and start and numerous other comfort, safety and convenience features.
The Prado is quite a large vehicle and care needs to be taken when selecting a parking spot. A reversing camera and warning sensors make the job a bit less fraught.
Style remains a matter of taste.
The Prado has changed very little in its model cycle.

The new model has revised headlight and taillight designs and a new grille incorporating daytime running lights. Approaching the Prado at night, with the keyless entry fob in your pocket, all the interior lights come on and the entire underside of the vehicle is also flooded with light. I've seen puddle lights before, but never as extensive as those on the Kakadu!

To keep the youngsters amused on long trips, the Kakadu has a 9 inch drop down screen in the cabin ceiling for DVDs and other games. Headphones are supplied so other passengers aren't inadvertently entertained as well. 

The Prado has won numerous awards since its introduction some years ago now,and it deserves them all.
But it remains to be seen if it can hold on as the segment sales leader until a completely new version arrives and that 's some way off.
In the meantime, larger families will appreciate the extra seats and the ability to go to the "back of Bourke" and beyond in style and comfort that the Prado, especially the Kakadu model offers.
Peter Sellen.