Toyota dipped into a bowl of alphabet soup when it named the facelifted line-up of fourth-generation Prado SUVs.
There is the KJGA, KJXA, GJXA and KJLA, all 4WDs with either a 4.0-litre petrol or 3.0-litre diesel engine. The KJGA is Toyota-speak for the GX and uses the diesel engine. The KJXA is called the VX and uses the diesel too. The GJXA is also called the VX but uses the petrol unit. The KJLA is called the VX Limited and uses the diesel. KJXA and GJXA get what Toyota New Zealand calls “Option 84” – SAT-NAV, at $2500.
The range comes equipped with more from the bowl. There is TSC, JBL, DRL, ESS, MtM, BSM, SUNA LTM GPS, HsAC, DAC, ATC, KDSS, AVS, MTABS, MTS CRAWL … all electronic aids that make Prado – Portugese for “meadow” – an on/off-road allrounder. Other carmakers use the same systems.
• TSC stands for Trailer Sway Control, which stops a towed trailer getting a life of its own
• JBL is the sound system
• DRL is Daytime Running Lights – headlights are on during the day
• ESS is Emergency Stop Signal – brake lights flash under hard braking
• MtM is Multi-terrain Monitor system – cameras watch where you are going off-road
• BSM is Blind Spot Monitor – to warn you a vehicle is in your blind spot, that is you can’t see it as you move to change lanes
• SUNA LTM GPS – the name of the Live Traffic Management Global Position Satellite – which tells you where you are and where you are going
• HsAC is the Hill-start Assist Control – to stop you going backwards down a hill
• DAC is the Downhill Assist Control – to stop you from going too fast frontwards down a hill
• ATC is Active Traction Control – to help keep Prado on the straight and narrow
• TORSEN-type LSD – limited-slip centre differential that works with HsAC, DAC, and ATC
• KDSS is Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System – another off-road aid; Google it
• AVS is Adaptive Variable Suspension – computer controlled system that adjusts shock absorbers to match road surfaces
• MTABS is Multi-Terrain ABS – or anti-lock brakes designed for on/off-road use
• MtS CRAWLC is Multi-terrain Select and CRAWL Control – it helps KJGA, KJXA, GJXA and KJLA perform better off-road.
The first-generation Prado arrived in 1990 carrying the Land Cruiser name. It was the J70 series, replaced in 1996 by the J90. Then came the J120 before the current J150 landed in 2009.
Alphabet and numeric soup aside, Prado is a proven performer. More than 11,500 have been sold in New Zealand since 1990.
For the record, KJGA costs $81,195; KJXA $94,780; GJXA $94,780; KJLA $109,780.