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The new Toyota LandCruiser Prado will be entering into some tough competition when it officially launches in Australia, with two new off-road SUVs ready to take the icon's crown.
The current-generation LandCruiser Prado has legend status in Australia, and the all-new model will be hoping to keep its title, while both the new Isuzu MU-X and GWM Tank 500 will be hoping to steal it.
But are these new SUVs from China and Japan destined to be rivals, or mere also-rans?
There's little mystery surrounding the incoming MU-X – except for exactly when Isuzu will launch it here – with the tough-as-nails Japanese brand having already launched the new D-Max ute in Australia, which gets the same suite of updates.
So we know, for example, that the trusty 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine will remain the flagship choice, and shouldn't receive any power upgrades, meaning you can expect 140kW and 450Nm.
The Prado will also launch with a familiar engine, Toyota's 2.8-litre turbodiesel, producing some 150kW and 500Nm.
What is new for the MU-X, though, is a styling freshen-up, with the family-ready SUV improving its boxy design with a sleeker and more stylish look, a new grille, more modern lighting and a fresh alloy choices.
In the cabin, a tech overhaul sees the MU-X enter the modern era with a 9.0-inch central screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – with manual controls for volume and tuning so you don't need to dig through on-screen menus – as well as a 7.0-inch digital dash.
Capability should remain at the heart of the MU-X, though, with 4x4 models expected to continue with '4x4 Terrain Command', '2-High', '4-High' and '4-Low', a rear-diff lock and an improved 'Rough Terrain' mode which helps with grip and traction on slippery surfaces.
You can also expect seven seats, a 3.5-tonne towing capacity and art least 800mm in wading depth and 230mm ground clearance, too.
Isuzu is yet to confirm launch timing for the new MU-X, but we're expecting it to land in dealerships in 2024.
Chinese brand GWM is dialling up the off-road credibility with the Tank 500, and it's shaping as the Prado's most interesting competitor.
While Toyota in Australia is persevering with its trusty diesel engine in Australia (for now...), despite a punchy iForce Max hybrid being offered internationally, GWM is ditching the diesel and going all-in on a petrol-electric powertrain.
Like the MU-X, it offers seven seats across three rows, but where it gets little more unique is under its hood, where a 2.0-litre petrol engine pairs with an electric motor to deliver some 255kW and 648Nm. That is a lot of grunt.
Better still, GWM reckons you'll see 8.5 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle, which means its 80-litre fuel tank should deliver a driving range of just under 950kms. It's around 920kms between Sydney and Brisbane, and under 900kms from Sydney to Melbourne, meaning you could theoretically complete both on a single tank.
Pretty good, and even more so when you consider that the Tank 500 is more LC300 sized, and will offer a wading depth of 800mm and a three-tonne braked towing capacity.
Also adding to its off-road credentials are its body-on-frame ladder chassis design, high- and low-range gearing and a rear diff lock.
The Tank 500 starts from $66,490 drive-away for the Lux trim, and tops out at with the $73,990 drive-away Ultra, which makes it a bit of a bargain, too.
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