Those keen on going big with the LC300 will have to wait in a long line to get one. For those who want a luxury SUV with a lot less bling and without the crazy wait time, then the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Matte Black Edition might be up their alley. Yes, the Prado is becoming rather dated, but the years have proved its capability and stature as a prime SUV in the market. Perhaps in a bid to appease customers, Toyota is bringing a new special variant of the Prado.
Land Cruiser Prado Matte Black Edition = no chrome, no problem
Many a car manufacturer would name a new variant as a “Black Edition”, and for obvious reasons. In place of chrome, you’ll find blacked-out pieces to provide the same amount of class with the right amount of sportiness. The Land Cruiser Prado has gone this route and changes can be found inside and out.
The exterior gets stripped of a lot of chrome. From the massive grill, the headlight garnish, and the foglight frames, they now get a more subtle black motif, with only the Toyota badge shining through. The side mirrors, roof racks, and tailgate garnish get stripped of color as well. On the side, we can see that the window trim, step boards, and wheels have likewise gone through the same decoloring. Oh, the wheels are 18-inch alloys so they won’t look too small given all the black you’ll find on this Land Cruiser Prado.
Photo: Toyota
Don’t expect a lot of changes in the interior, though. This is effectively the same interior found in the current Land Cruiser Prado line. Already draped in (mostly) black, the Matte Black Edition gets a choice of two new leather upholstery options. From an all-black scheme, buyers can pick from either gray or saddle tan seat bolsters. We think it’s a good way to add some life to the otherwise “mono” interior.
Photo: Toyota
The Land Cruiser Prado Matte Black Edition will still have the same heart under the hood. Powering the SUV is a 4-cylinder 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine that puts out 204 HP and an impressive 500 Nm of pull. The lone transmission option is a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Looks good, doesn’t it? As it stands, though, this is a reprieve for customers in Europe. While there is a massive difficulty in getting Land Cruiser LC300 units (and even Lexus LX units) out in our region, this Matte Black Edition of the Prado is set to come out in Q4 of this year. But who knows? If a lot of those in southeast Asia and the country become a bit impatient and opt to get a Prado instead, then maybe Toyota Motor Philippines could bring this in.
It’s a long shot, but we can always hope.
