As the year draws to a close, many players in various sectors of the economy are taking stock of their assets. Despite the country’s economic recession, some brands have performed well. One of these is Toyota, whose Prado has been named the best sport utility vehicle in the country.
According to the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA), the majority of the country’s auto stakeholders voted for the Prado as the best vehicle in the SUV category. They noted that the other nominees for the award were the Ford Explorer and the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Peugeot 301 also beat the Toyota Corolla and Nissan Almera to emerge as the car of the year (2016) in the same contest.
Other winners included the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which was named the luxury car of the year; Ford Ranger got the pickup of the year; Toyota Hiace received the minibus of the year award; while the heavy truck of the year was won by Mercedes Actros.
Globe Hyundai and Jet Van Mercedes were joint winners in the Outstanding New Entrant of the year category. The showroom of the year prize went to the Nissan showroom in Victoria Island (Lagos); while Pirelli was crowned the tyre brand of the year.
The Chairman of Naja, Mr Frank Kintum, said, “In arriving at the eventual winners, we have carefully evaluated all nominees and have been assisted by some auto customers and industry stakeholders. Interestingly, in order to make the awards more interactive, we decided to allow members of the public to participate by way of voting online.”
The Prado is a mid-size four-wheel drive vehicle in the Toyota Land Cruiser range; it is considered one of the smaller vehicles in the range, designed to meet the needs of modern drivers.
According to Toyota Nigeria Limited, the Prado’s off-road heritage is evident in its ground clearance and high approach and departure angles.
“Together with outstanding hill-climbing performance, excellent maximum tolerable roll-over angle and good fording capacities, they contribute to the outstanding all-around off-road performance in difficult conditions.”
It also said the Prado’s full-time 4WD system would deliver excellent drive-through performance by changing between high- and low-range settings, depending on road conditions.
“Should the Prado ever become stuck with the wheels on the side spinning freely, at the touch of a switch, the rear differential gear can be locked to enhance traction” the TNL stated.
The exterior of the Land Cruiser Prado is bold and self-assured, with a distinctive grille that makes it stand out on busy roads. Built to cope with the open road as well as rougher ground, you will have no problem negotiating any type of terrain.”
It added that the cabin of the vehicle was crafted from premium materials that provided a sense of luxury and elegance to contrast with the rugged exterior.
It also stated, “A leather-trimmed steering wheel with audio and telephone controls offers a touch of class and you can make calls on the move through the Bluetooth wireless connection.”
The vehicle’s three rows of seats would give enough space for seven people comfortably.
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