Are the Toyota Prado and the Ba Dao the same car?
2 Answers
Toyota Prado and Ba Dao are the same car. Here is some information about the Toyota Prado and Ba Dao: 1. The Toyota SUV 'Ba Dao' (PRADO) produced by Sichuan Toyota was renamed 'Prado'. 2. The renaming to 'Prado' was a decision made in accordance with Toyota's global strategy. 3. The purpose of the renaming: no matter where in the world, as long as it is a Toyota product, its pronunciation should be similar, facilitating the unification of Toyota product names. 4. Toyota stipulates that all products use transliteration: the English name for Ba Dao is PRADO, which is transliterated as 'Prado'.
The Toyota Prado was previously known as the 'Badao' (meaning 'overbearing' in Chinese), and they are the same vehicle. I've been into cars for many years, and I remember when it was called Badao, it sold like hotcakes with its strong off-road capabilities and rugged durability. Around 2004, it was renamed Prado, mainly because the name Badao caused some controversy—an earlier advertisement made it sound too aggressive, and the company feared it might harm their image, so they made the change. But the vehicle itself remained unchanged, still a tough SUV in the Land Cruiser series, reliable for mountain roads and long-distance driving. In the Chinese market, the rebranding was quite successful—Prado sounds much more sophisticated. Just pay attention to the model year when buying a used one. Seasoned drivers know this history well, so don’t be misled by the name.