Toyota Land Cruiser Prado J90 (90 Series)

Question

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado J90 (often called the Prado 90 Series) is the second-generation Prado, introduced in 1996 as a more independent “light-duty” Land Cruiser line. It is best known for moving the Prado to front independent suspension (double wishbone) while keeping a ladder-frame 4WD layout aimed at mixed road/off-road use.

Overview

• Production: commonly referenced as 1996–2002 for the J90 generation.

• Body styles: 3-door short wheelbase and 5-door long wheelbase.

• Suspension (notable change): front independent double wishbone; rear coil/linked arrangement (Toyota notes the Prado/Hilux Surf shared this suspension concept).

• 4WD: typically full-time 4WD in many trims/markets (Toyota and model summaries note full-time 4WD availability/fitment).

Engines (common J90 family)

Engine availability varied by market/year, but widely referenced options include:

• 3RZ-FE 2.7L petrol (added to the lineup in April 1997, per Toyota’s lineage page).

• 5VZ-FE 3.4L V6 petrol (seen in J90 model listings/spec tables).

• 1KZ-TE 3.0L turbo-diesel (common early diesel in many markets).

• 1KD-FTV 3.0L D-4D common-rail diesel (replacing the earlier turbo-diesel in July 2000, per Toyota).

Chassis codes you’ll see

• RZJ90/95 → typically 2.7 petrol (3RZ-FE)

• VZJ90/95 → typically 3.4 V6 (5VZ-FE)

• KZJ90/95 → typically 3.0 turbo-diesel (1KZ-TE)

• KDJ90/95 → typically 3.0 D-4D (1KD-FTV) 

Video