18/07/2025
Throwback. Last year, we drove many cars in Nepal, but the one car I wanted to drive most was the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Not just because of the hype about it coming to India, but also because I liked the looks and feel of the car when I first saw it.
I would rank Toyota India number one when it comes to being the most unfriendly guys out there with media requests for cars outside India.
But we were happy to see .nepal being so welcoming.
The Prado is basically a mini LC with a Fortuner’s engine. The US media hated it because its 2.4L petrol engine doesn’t feel solid and punchy like other Toyotas, and the parts quality is poor.
I hate it because it is still stuck with the old formula of heavy, big, stiff feel and has no real innovation except for some new feel-good features. Adding to the insult, they will price it 30-40% more than it deserves.
But why do people buy them? Because no other players deliver and capture the minds of customers who look for reliability. Guess what? A Hycross buyer won't buy Invicto because, as per him, Suzuki can not make strong, reliable big engines. Who will convince them that Hycross and Invicto are the same car? No one, hence no one, can take Toyota’s position as of now.
📸: Rabin
Cars | India | Automotive | SUVs
