Leading South African Luxury Armoured Car builder Armormax have just completed their first armoured 5th generation Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. By all accounts it’s the first armoured Prado in South Africa too.
Marketing Manager Michael Broom says “It came time a few months ago to build a new demonstration model, and we had a tough time choosing which vehicle to develop next in a market that is filled with so much choice. We had seen the Prado at the Nampo show two months earlier and were blown away by the design, the space and functionality of the new light-duty off-roader. A quick look into the launch sales figures convinced us that this was the way to go. With waiting lists stretching into 2026, it almost didn’t happen but thanks to our friends at Toyota, we found a unit.”
The Prado has a loyal customer base in South Africa and has in recent years had its segment raided by a number of newcomers hoping to steal its place on the perch. The 5th generation Prado is a revelation in terms of what it offers for what it costs, especially when compared to what is on offer from the traditional premium manufacturers in this segment. The new 2.8l diesel powerplant matched to an all-new 8 speed automatic transmission is more than competent to haul 7 people plus the horse box, trailer or boat you’re pulling behind you. With the B4 armouring package fitted to the Armormax demo vehicle, it barely feels the additional 187kg added by the lightweight armour.
“The Prado is built on the same GA-F platform as the Land Cruiser 300 Series of which we have now armoured 21 examples since it’s local introduction. So in terms of product development, much of the car was quite familiar to us. Typically the development of a new product can take up to 6 months- the Prado took 7 weeks from start to finish” adds Broom. “We are more than satisfied that the fit and finish of the completed vehicle meets the high standards that Armormax has set in the past for discreet, lightweight and unintrusive armour”.
The B4 package offers protection against handguns up to a .44 Magnum. All doors, panels, pillars and any other exposed area have been armoured with a lightweight ballistic composite providing an impenetrable barrier between occupants and would-be attackers. All windows have been replaced with OEM-matching 21mm ballistic glass. Included in the package is the armouring of the roof, run-flat bands and a push-to-talk intercom system. With an added weight of just 187kg, there is no noticeable effect on performance or dynamics, particularly off-road. The cost of the package fitted to the Prado is R754 000 excluding VAT. This includes a 36 month warranty on the armouring components and workmanship.
Broom concludes “we have no doubt the Prado is going to be a popular model amongst armoured vehicle owners. It offers so much for comparably less than you expect, and this 5th generation version is filled with features and modern tech to appeal to a much wider audience than it traditionally did. We love driving it and plan on taking it on tour in South Africa next year to show it to Toyota dealers and potential customers around the country”.
