Car owners must read the Beijing report on March 4 (Reporter Niu Huiwen) As soon as 2024 begins, the domestic auto market's first-class war will "roll back". It is worth noting that in this fierce competition, the market segment of hard-core off-road vehicles has quietly risen. Although the scale of this market is not large, and there is no public data showing specific profit margins, the reality of domestic leading car companies and old joint venture car companies competing for the layout undoubtedly shows the huge potential of hard-core off-road vehicles.
In 2023, more than 20 new (including replacement) hard-core off-road SUVs will be launched by leading domestic car companies, and more and more car companies will join, which has also driven the rapid development of the hard-core off-road vehicle market. Data shows that in 2023, the sales of hard-core off-road vehicles in China will exceed 320,000 units, a year-on-year increase of more than 50%, while the year-on-year growth rate in 2022 will only be 258%。
Just entering 2024, China's hardcore off-road market is staged"Immortals fight", several new cars have been launched one after another or opened small orders. On February 29, FAW Toyota's all-new Prado opened online reservations, with pre-sales** ranging from 470,000 to 570,000 yuan. In just one hour after the reservation opened, the number of orders exceeded 5,000 units. After more than three years of absence, the newly upgraded classic model announced the "return of the legend".
If you want to talk about Toyota Prado, you have to mention the Land Cruiser. The Land Cruiser is one of the Toyota brand's most successful and longest-standing car series. Since its birth in 1951, the Land Cruiser series has been focusing on the off-road field for 73 years, and is the world-renowned "off-road king", representing the high-end off-road technical strength of the Toyota brand. The Land Cruiser continues to grow in the grinding, and has launched a variety of models to meet the continuously upgraded travel needs of users around the world, selling well in about 170 countries and regions around the world with reliable quality, with cumulative sales of more than 11.3 million units. In 1990, the Prado was born. With its excellent comprehensive product strength, Prado has quickly become the core product and best-selling model in the Land Cruiser series, and is favored by users around the world.
In 2003, the third-generation Toyota Prado was introduced to China by FAW Toyota; In 2010, Prado began to be produced domestically. With excellent product quality and solid off-road ability, Toyota Prado has gained a good reputation and sales performance in China. However, due to the restrictions of the China VI emission regulations, in June 2020, with the last FAW Toyota Prado 3The 5L model rolled off the assembly line, and the domestic Prado was officially discontinued. In the past 17 years, the Prado has sold nearly 350,000 units in China, making it a veritable benchmark model in the hard-core off-road circles of its time. From the hilly basin to the roof of the world, from the tropical rainforest to the desert Gobi, Prado has become the "king of four-wheel drive" in the hearts of users.
This time, as the core model of the Land Cruiser series, the all-new Prado returns to the origin, adheres to the belief of "providing support for people's life and social development", and redefines "hard-core off-road" with the hard-core quality of "robustness".
In terms of appearance, the new Prado takes "reliability, permanence, and professionalism" as the key words, and the square shape not only fits the current trend, but also realizes the inheritance of the classics. The low waistline, thin A-pillar, and angular hard shape can bring the driver a wider field of vision and a simpler and more accurate driving experience.
The new car offers two front face shapes: the round lamp front face, which reveals a strong retro atmosphere in the classic; The rectangular light front face is bold and avant-garde, exuding a strong hard-core off-road style. The two styles of front face styling will fully meet the personalized needs of users.
The dimensions of the new Prado are: 4920mm*1980mm*1860mm, with a wheelbase of up to 2850mm; Compared with the old Prado, the length and width have been increased by 95mm, the height has been increased by 10mm, and the wheelbase has been increased by 60mm, which is the same as the LC200 Land Cruiser, and the appearance is more visually impactful.
In terms of practicality, the new Prado's split bumper, grille, headlights, etc., can be replaced separately, significantly reducing the cost of the car, and also facilitating the user's personalized customization and modification.
The king is not there, and the situation is changing. In the past three years, Prado has witnessed many "off-road rookies". Now, adhering to the belief of "being able to take you anywhere and come back safely", the new Prado legend returns, which will provide reliable support for users' all-scene travel and life, make the core spirit of Land Cruiser more valuable, and redefine "hard-core off-road" with the hard-core quality of "robust".