After talking about the legendary Land Cruiser in the off-road vehicle world, we should be able to quickly think of another well-known derivative model in the car series-the Toyota Prado, which is also called Toyota Overbearing in China. As we all know, this car can often be seen among the off-road vehicles that are active in Xinjiang and Sichuan-Tibet lines all the year round in China. After several replacements, it still maintains the classic combination of non-load-bearing body and integral bridge suspension. It did not follow the trend to develop into an urbanized SUV, but still maintained its own traditional style. This model was born in 1990, and it has been 29 years.
For this overbearing Toyota that we are all too familiar with, I believe everyone must want to know its historical background, right? Today, the editor will take you to understand the past and present of the Toyota Prado.
The third generation Prado LC120: 2003-2009
Another 6 years passed, and the demand for off-road vehicles in the global off-road vehicle market began to develop in a larger and more practical direction. Under this background, in 2002, Toyota launched the third-generation Prado model as the third Compared with the second-generation model, the first-generation model has a more rounded body line, and after entering the country, it was named “Overbearing” by the Chinese market, and it also officially started its journey in China. In 2003, Land Cruiser Overbearing successfully rolled off the assembly line in Chengdu and was launched on November 6 of that year. At the same time, Land Cruiser 100 was launched in Changchun.
In 2002, Toyota evolved the basic design of the 90 series and officially launched the new 120 series (the third-generation Land Cruiser Domineering), which improved the poor reliability of the front suspension of the previous model. In essence, it still retains the off-road pedigree of the old model, and still continues the off-road configurations such as non-load-bearing body, full-time four-wheel drive system, central differential lock, and rear axle differential lock.
Not only that, the third-generation Prado also newly added the strainer TRC with the newly developed torque-sensing LSD and downhill assist control system. The addition of these systems further interprets the Prado’s reputation as the king of off-road vehicles.
The third-generation Prado not only has reliable off-road performance, ensures excellent maneuverability and driving stability, and is not afraid of various complex road conditions; it also has a sense of quietness, comfort and excellent quality that can rival high-end cars It has added dual-zone independent air-conditioning and rear audio-visual entertainment system. The realization of these additional functions has changed people’s understanding of “true 4WD” in the past.
