The VW faces an uphill struggle against brand laden rivals, but is actually just as good.
Pros Sophisticated and high-tech interior plus engines for all situations in the pipeline
Cons Same-price rivals wear more premium badges
Pros Good value in lower trim levels Spacious inside for up to five people Excellent towing capabilities
Cons Cheap-feeling interior plastics Fussy infotainment system No seven-seat option
The 2020 Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI is expensive, but it also has a very special diesel V-8 under the hood.
Pros Fast enough for the autobahn, diesel efficiency, premium-brand levels of luxury and refinement.
Cons Garish chrome grille; an Alcantara headliner would be nice; we'd love to have it here, but it's premium-brand money.
With its rugged body-on-frame construction, heavy duty hardware and new-age technology that enable it to crawl over obstacles, the Prado is not for pretenders. To be fair, the Prado is far from rudimentary. It feels solid on the road at highway speeds and around town, although you quickly learn to take roundabouts a little more gingerly because of the tendency for big, tall and heavy 4WDs like this to lean in corners. The new engine is a worthwhile freshen-up for the Prado but doesn't suddenly transform the vehicle.
Likes New diesel engine is more refined Long range due to better economy and 150L tanks Genuine off-road ability
Dislikes Towing capacity unchanged at 2500kg The price is high, especially on top end models Interior design starting to look a little dated
Cast an eye over the SUV market and you’ll see very few truly off-road capable vehicles. One of them is the Toyota LandCruiser Prado, and here we’ve got the most capable Prado of all, the top-shelf Kakadu.The LandCruiser Prado Kakadu is a very good off-the-shelf off-roader, with its blend of both tradi-tional and modern off-road equipment. With decent all-terrain or mud-terrain tyres (which nearly all standard SUVs would need) we reckon the Kakadu could go just about anywhere.
Likes Rear axle articulation KDSS system Crawl control
Dislikes Lack of power and torque Over-bonnet vision No height-adjustable front suspension
