You could almost see the diesel tears rolling down the faces of the LandCruiser Prado faithful when the new Lexus GX was revealed on Friday with – gasp – two petrol powertrains, with one of them being a hybrid.
Well, I’m here to tell you that a hybrid powertrain arriving in the Prado will actually be the best thing to ever happen to the LandCruiser badge – and your wallet will almost certainly agree with me.
First the Lexus GX, which will be offered Stateside with a 2.4-litre hybrid-assisted turbocharged four-cylinder engine. There’s a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6, too, but let’s focus on the electrified option here.
The brand hasn’t confirmed outputs or capabilities yet, but we already know this powertrain configuration, because it also appears in the brand-spanking new Tacoma.
In that truck, the 2.4-litre hybrid delivers 243kW and 630Nm. A reminder here, the current diesel-powered Prado makes 150kW and 500Nm. Really no competition there, right?
But what about capability? The 3000kg braked towing offered by the current diesel Prado is rightly celebrated by the boat and caravan crowd. But the hybrid-powered Tacoma delivers 2950kg braked. Hardly a deal breaker.
But the single biggest drawcard for a petrol-powered Prado is fuel use, and thus running costs, with the electrified SUV set to save you a fortune.
Currently, the Prado claims 7.9L/100km on the combined cycle. As I write this, you’d be paying about $14.50 to travel 100kms. We’d expect the hybrid Prado to match or better this figure – the Kluger hybrid, for example, uses 5.6L/100km.
The hybrid-powered Tacoma delivers 2950kg braked.But petrol is now mostly much cheaper than diesel, meaning more money in your pocket on longer journeys.
Diesel isn’t dead, but it’s no doubt dying. The end of that road is coming, with most brands cancelling investment in new diesel tech.
The next Prado might very well make it to Australia with a diesel donk, but it will no doubt be a take on the current 2.8-litre power plant, perhaps with mild-hybrid technology, and one offered largely to appease the Prado faithful.
But if the choice is old diesel tech, or the newer, more powerful and cheaper to run hybrid, which would you choose?
If your answer to that question is diesel, then I can’t help you.
Keyword: Silence, hybrid haters: The electrified Prado Hybrid will be the best thing to ever happen to the LandCruiser badge | Opinion