2025 Toyota Prado Kakadu test: hybrid tech, retro looks, 4WD grit

Toyota’s new-generation LandCruiser Prado has arrived with retro bravado, hybrid assist, and enough off-road cred to make Kakadu weep with joy—and then complain about the touchscreen. We tested the top-spec Kakadu across our 4WD track, dirt roads, highways, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, with David—my 70-year-old straight man and anecdote machine—providing dry commentary and unsolicited stories about pie warmers, camels, and a cousin who once reversed a HiLux into a creek.

Let’s start with the bones. The new Prado rides on Toyota’s TNGA-F ladder-frame platform, shared with the larger 300 Series. It’s longer, wider, and stiffer than before—4990mm long, 1980mm wide, with a 2850mm wheelbase and widened tracks front and rear. David said it “felt like a LandCruiser that went to finishing school but still knows how to change a tyre in the rain.”

Under the bonnet, Toyota’s 2.8L turbodiesel returns, now paired with 48-volt V-Active mild hybrid tech. I’ve always considered Mild Hybrids to be a waste of time, energy, money, and weight. This has done nothing to change my mind. Full hybrids have rubbish towing ability, a reason Toyota has no doubt opted for a limp-biscuit option. It won’t magically make the Euro 5 diesel socially acceptable at a “save the world” gala fund raiser, if that’s what they were hoping for.
It delivers an adequate 150kW and 500Nm through a new 8-speed automatic and full-time AWD. The hybrid assist doesn’t add power as such, but it smooths out stop-start transitions and helps with fuel economy. Toyota quotes combined consumption at 7.6L/100km, but we never bettered 9.9L/100km. David noted we were “drinking diesel like a footy club bus on finals weekend.”

Drive modes vary by grade. GX, GXL, and Altitude get three: Eco, Normal, and Comfort. VX and Kakadu step up to five, adding Sport and Sport+. Suspension settings adjust accordingly, with Kakadu’s adaptive variable suspension softening the ride on tarmac and firming up for off-road. Comfort mode on the highway felt like being in the Queen Mary during a swell—David said it “rocked like a pensioner’s recliner after two sherries.”

Our test began on our 4WD track, where the Kakadu’s approach angle (32°), departure angle (17°), and rampover (25°) proved more than adequate. The multi-terrain system adjusts traction control for dirt, mud, snow, and sand. David cycled through all four and declared “mud mode” his favourite, mostly because it reminded him of a wedding in Dubbo.

Halfway through the track, we had to tow “ol mate” Malcolm off a rock where he’d beached his Hilux ute trying to shortcut the incline. Malcolm is David’s mate—retired roo shooter, part-time philosopher, and full-time obstacle. David said, “He’s been stuck in more places than my ex-wife’s Volvo,” and then directed the recovery like a cricket umpire. The Kakadu pulled the Hilux free with zero drama, while Malcolm muttered something about “bloody traction control” and asked if we had any beer.

From the track, we moved to dirt roads, where the Kakadu’s suspension soaked up corrugations with ease. The electric power steering—new for Prado—felt light but precise. David said it “finally feels like someone’s listening, not just guessing,” and then launched into a story about a 1972 Land Rover that steered like a wheelbarrow full of bricks.

Above: This Week’s VIDEO Review – 2025 Toyota Prado Kakadu Review: Hybrid Tech, Off-Road Rescue, Sydney Test

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ABOVE: 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Kakadu – with Altitude boot to compare

On the highway, the Kakadu settled into a quiet cruise. The 8-speed auto keeps revs low, and wind noise is minimal despite the bluff front end. We crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Comfort mode, where the Prado floated like a luxury liner. David said it reminded him of a ferry ride he once took with a woman named Maureen who wore too much hairspray and drove a Datsun.

Inside, the Kakadu is plush. Leather-accented upholstery, heated and ventilated seats front and rear, panoramic moon roof, illuminated side steps, and a digital rearview mirror. The driver’s seat cushion length is adjustable—a Toyota first—and the steering wheel is heated. David said the wheel “felt like a pie warmer in Wagga,” then asked if it could toast crumpets.

The natty rear glass hatch in the rear saves opening the full tailgate. However, our Prado had a gremlin that opened the electric tailgate without being asked to. Rude. On one occasion the silent assassin opened in Coles carpark risking dislodging Meriton’s sprinklers from the roof as I waved on through like the Queen of Sheba. A little Chinese man ran after man gesticulating as if docking an A380, thankfully avoiding an insurance claim that would sink a battleship, and have me in sack cloth and ashes. Before you ask, no, there were no bongs, gongs or dash-mounted warnings and even stranger was the absence of dome light activation. Is the latch device and sensor faulty? Read the Toyota Forum discussion HERE.

It would be remiss not to comment on the utterly stupid third-row seats.

Instead of nudging lovingly into the floor, they sit glued to the boot floor like a hideous carbuncle. The old LandCruiser 200 had equally awful third-row seats. They parted like the Red Sea, folding sulkily against the side windows to be held in place by an old bit of seatbelt. The Prado Kakadu keeps them horizontal but fills the enormous gulf between the seat unit and rear hatch with a cheap plastic tub that looks like a Temu flower planter. They gave it a lid to keep it flat when the seats are folded, but honestly, were they drunk? You can’t remove the seats without voiding the warranty, and GX and Altitude are the only models sans third row. Just make the ugly thing optional and be done with it. Not happy, Jan.

Generous tech includes Kakadu’s 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cloud-based navigation, and a 14-speaker JBL audio system. There’s also a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, multi-terrain monitor, and tyre pressure sensors. David joked about covering the driver monitor camera with a handkerchief “for privacy,” then asked if the JBL system could play podcasts. No David, just, no.

Safety is comprehensive. Toyota Safety Sense includes PCS, adaptive cruise, lane trace assist, blind spot monitoring, road sign assist, rear parking support brake, and nine airbags. The radar and camera system has been upgraded for better range and accuracy. David said it “scans the road like a nosy neighbour with binoculars,” and according to David, looks for potholes shaped like Elvis.

Pricing starts at $72,500 for the GX, which gets fabric trim, 18-inch alloys, and a 10-speaker audio system. GXL adds a third row, synthetic leather, roof rails, and wireless charging for $79,990. VX steps up to 20-inch alloys, JBL audio, refrigerated console, and memory seats for $87,400. Altitude, priced at $92,700, adds Toyo Open Country tyres, rear diff lock, stabiliser disconnect, moon roof, and retro two-tone paint. Kakadu tops the range at $99,990, with every luxury and off-road feature included.

Toyota offers five years of warranty with unlimited kilometres, and capped-price servicing at $390 every six months or 10,000km. 7-year warranties are offered in the competition, but Toyota management said their buyers didn’t need it because Australia has a Consumer Guarantee. Holden used to say things like that before they were closed down after buyers fled in droves. Toyota, take note.

Other tasty temptations include a full-service lease option which bundles insurance, roadside assist, maintenance, and registration into one monthly payment. David called it “marriage without the arguments.”

Eight exterior colours are available. Solid options include Glacier White, Ebony, and Midnight Alloy. Metallics include Eclipse Black, Dusty Bronze, and Frosted White. Altitude-exclusive hues are Ningaloo Blue and Tanami Taupe, paired with a retro grey roof. David chose Dusty Bronze and said it “matched his mood,” then asked if Tanami Taupe was a cocktail.

The all-new Prado isn’t just a facelift—it’s a full-body transplant with a memory of its past and a mind for the future. It’s bigger, smarter, and more capable, but still feels like a LandCruiser. David summed it up best: “It’s the kind of SUV that could survive a flood, a wedding, and a family holiday—and still have room for anecdotes.”

GX: $72,500
GXL: $79,990
VX: $87,400
Altitude: $92,700
Kakadu: $99,990

Options:
Premium paint: $675
Optional paint + two tone (Altitude only): $1675

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Toyota LandCruiser Prado Specifications Sheet

🧭 Dimensions

⚖️ Weights & Capacities

Gross Combination Mass: 6600kg (all grades)
Front Axle Load: 1605kg
Rear Axle Load: 1860kg
Max Towball Mass: 350kg
Towing Capacity (Braked/Unbraked): 3500kg / 750kg
Fuel Tank: Diesel 110L, AdBlue 17.4L

🛋️ Interior

Cargo Capacity (VDA)

GX/Altitude:
- 2nd row upright: 954L
- 2nd row stowed: 1895L
GXL/VX/Kakadu:

All seats upright: 182L
3rd row stowed: 906L
2nd & 3rd row stowed: 1829L

🔧 Powertrain

Engine: 2.8L Inline 4-cylinder turbodiesel (1GD-FTV)
Valve Mechanism: 16-valve DOHC, chain drive
Capacity: 2755cm³
Bore x Stroke: 92mm x 103.6mm
Compression Ratio: 15.6:1
Max Power: 150kW @ 3000–3400rpm
Max Torque: 500Nm @ 1600–2800rpm
Fuel System: Common-rail injection
Emissions: EURO 5
Drivetrain: Full-time 4WD

⚙️ Transmission

Type: AL80F 8-speed automatic
Gear Ratios:
- 1st: 4.4131
- 2nd: 2.8083
- 3rd: 1.95
- 4th: 1.5111
- 5th: 1.2743
- 6th: 1.0000
- 7th: 0.793
- 8th: 0.651
- Reverse: 3.645
Final Drive (Front): 3.583