Is the Prado the same as the Land Cruiser?
2 Answers
The Prado is indeed the Land Cruiser, representing a lower-spec variant under the Toyota brand. Taking the Toyota Prado 2019 Automatic TXL Premium Edition as an example, it is a mid-to-large-sized 5-door, 7-seat SUV with the following dimensions: length 4840mm, width 1885mm, height 1890mm, and a wheelbase of 2790mm. The Toyota Prado 2019 Automatic TXL Premium Edition is equipped with a 3.5L naturally aspirated engine, delivering a maximum power of 206kW and a maximum torque of 365Nm. It features a front-engine, four-wheel-drive layout, with a front suspension utilizing a double-wishbone independent suspension and a rear suspension employing a four-link non-independent suspension.
Since childhood, I've been fascinated by cars. When Toyota first entered the Chinese market, they translated 'Prado' as 'Badao' (meaning 'overbearing' or 'tyrannical'), which sounded powerful but sparked controversy. Later, the manufacturer uniformly changed it to the phonetic translation 'Puladuo'. Nowadays, whether at 4S dealerships or in advertisements, this name is used. These are actually the same off-road vehicle, just different naming conventions from different periods. Veteran drivers still habitually call it 'Badao', while younger generations now refer to it as 'Puladuo'. The model itself hasn't changed—it remains that rugged, durable body-on-frame SUV with part-time four-wheel drive, equally capable of climbing mountains or fording streams. Some Middle East-imported versions labeled as 'Land Cruiser Prado' are identical. Ultimately, the name isn't what matters; what counts is the vehicle's reliable performance—after all, when traversing the wilderness, survival is far more important than nomenclature.
