2014 Toyota Prado Altitude Tucks Spare Tyre Away For Easier Access

Toyota Australia has revealed a new look to its annual Prado Altitude special, this time tucking the spare tyre away beneath the rear cargo area.

Moving the spare away from its usual door-mounted position has made access to the rear easier, Toyota says, thanks to the lightened tailgate.

This layout has already been available in overseas markets since the current fourth-generation Prado debuted in 2009, but the new $68,520 Altitude edition marks its first appearance in Australia.

The arrangement sees the deletion of the smaller secondary fuel tank that normally resides in the spare tyre’s new home, leaving the Prado with its regular 87 litre main tank only.

Few buyers are likely to be bothered by the change, however, with the Prado diesel auto’s 8.5 l/100km fuel figures amounting to a driving range “of more than 1000km”.

Aside from the benefits of the repositioned spare tyre, Toyota says the Altitude is packing around $10,000 in additional features.

That gives the Altitude a $4800 premium over the GXL Diesel automatic it’s based on.

Features include leather-accented seats with contrasting grey inserts and stitching, along with a tilt-and-slide moonroof, Blu-Ray rear entertainment system with three wireless headphones and remote control, electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, power front seats and rain-sensing wipers.

The Altitude also picks up the 14-speaker JBL audio system featured in up-spec models, adding DAB+ digital radio, a seven-inch display screen, and satellite navigation with Suna live traffic alerts.

Tweaks are rounded out with chrome side mouldings, door handles and air-conditioning surrounds, along with carbon fibre-look details on the dash panel and gearshift surround.

As with the GXL it’s based on, the Altitude is driven by a 127kW/410Nm 3.0 litre four-cylinder engine.

The Prado remains Australia’s top-selling large SUV, with 220,000 sold since 1996.

Numbers are up 8.2 percent in 2014 with 9725 sales year-to-date, however the Prado is led by Jeep’s popular Grand Cherokee with 10,019 YTD sales.

MORE: Prado | LandCruiser | Toyota | 4WDs

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