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.”
The Prado has a loyal customer base in South Africa since inception. In recent years had its segment raided by a number of newcomers hoping to steal its place on the perch.
The 2.8l diesel powerplant with an 8 speed automatic transmission is good enough o haul 7 people plus the horse box, trailer or boat you’re pulling behind you.
With the B4 armouring package fitted, it barely feels the additional 187kg added by the lightweight armour.
The Prado took Armormax seven weeks to complete the build.
Worth the money?
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.
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.
