Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vs BYD SHARK 6 DMO

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in South Africa

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

2.8 VX 4x4 Automatic Diesel 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 1,150,000 ex-showroom
⚡ 150 kW 🔧 500 Nm ⛽ 12.3 km/l
VS
BYD SHARK 6 DMO in South Africa

BYD SHARK 6 DMO

Performance DMO AWD Plug-in Hybrid e-CVT Current
ZAR 1,149,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 180 kW 🔧 380 Nm ⛽ 9.5 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vs BYD SHARK 6 DMO: the short answer

SHARK 6 DMO has a modest catalogue-index lead, while Land Cruiser Prado remains close.

Land Cruiser Prado starts ZAR 9,900 cheaper Land Cruiser Prado from ZAR 980,000 · SHARK 6 DMO from ZAR 989,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Land Cruiser Prado SHARK 6 DMO
Maximum Power Land Cruiser Prado150 kW SHARK 6 DMO180 kW
Maximum Torque Land Cruiser Prado500 Nm SHARK 6 DMO380 Nm
Engine Size Land Cruiser Prado2755 cc SHARK 6 DMONot Officially Disclosed
Combined Fuel Economy Land Cruiser Prado12.3 km/l SHARK 6 DMO9.5 km/l
Ground Clearance Land Cruiser Prado220 mm SHARK 6 DMO230 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Land Cruiser Prado

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use
Specification evidence leader

SHARK 6 DMO

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

Land Cruiser Prado

  • Buyers who prefer this derivative's confirmed specification mix

SHARK 6 DMO

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Land Cruiser Prado SHARK 6 DMO
Model Introduced Year 1996 2025
Generation Current Prado represents the latest evolution of Toyota’s global Land Cruiser platform with modern safety and comfort upgrades First South African SHARK 6 DMO generation
Facelift History Major redesigns in 2009, 2017 and latest generation updates improving technology and safety No separately marketed South African facelift announced as at August 2026
Facelift Launched Since 2017 Original current-generation version
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style SUV Double-cab Pickup
Color Note White, Black, Silver, Grey, Dark Blue -
Dealer Stock Note Flagship grade in the South Africa lineup -
Drivetrain Note Drive layout derived from the official derivative naming: 2.8 VX 4x4 Automatic -
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status active Active
Segment SUV Double-cab Pickup
Tare Mass Kg 2250 kg -
Vehicle Type SUV Light commercial vehicle
Spec Land Cruiser Prado SHARK 6 DMO
Length 4840 mm 5457 mm
Width 1885 mm 1971 mm
Height 1890 mm 1925 mm
Wheelbase 2790 mm 3260 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 220 mm 230 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 125 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Capacity 87 l 60 l
Boot/Cargo Space 120 l 1200 l
Kerb Weight 2250 kg 2775 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2990 kg 3500 kg
Payload Capacity 740 kg 725 kg
Towing Capacity 3000 kg 3500 kg
Seating Capacity 7 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 3 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 4 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.6 m 6.75 m
Front Headroom 995 mm 1025 mm
Rear Headroom 957 mm 990 mm
Front Legroom 1042 mm 1048 mm
Rear Legroom 882 mm 880.4 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Land Cruiser Prado and SHARK 6 DMO comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Land Cruiser Prado 76 vs SHARK 6 DMO 82.

Efficiency index: Land Cruiser Prado 49 vs SHARK 6 DMO 53.

Safety-equipment index: Land Cruiser Prado 98 vs SHARK 6 DMO 99.

Practicality index: Land Cruiser Prado 69 vs SHARK 6 DMO 87.

Ownership-cover index: Land Cruiser Prado 40 vs SHARK 6 DMO not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

SHARK 6 DMO leads by 13 points

SHARK 6 DMO has a modest catalogue-index lead, while Land Cruiser Prado remains close.

Evidence leader 82 /100
Lead 13 points
Data 83% source coverage
82
#1 Evidence leader

SHARK 6 DMO

83% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 99 Check Efficiency 53
Performance 82
Efficiency 53
Safety 99
Practicality 87
Leads by 13 points
69
#2

Land Cruiser Prado

95% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 98 Check Ownership 40
Performance 76
Efficiency 49
Safety 98
Practicality 69
Ownership 40
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance SHARK 6 DMO +6 Efficiency SHARK 6 DMO +4 Safety SHARK 6 DMO +1 Practicality SHARK 6 DMO +18

Moderate difference in the source-backed catalogue index.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

SHARK 6 DMO

Performance 82/100
Efficiency 53/100
Safety 99/100
Practicality 87/100

Land Cruiser Prado

Performance 76/100
Efficiency 49/100
Safety 98/100
Practicality 69/100
Ownership 40/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index BYD SHARK 6 DMO leads the specification evidence index with 82 pts vs 69 pts for Land Cruiser Prado

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, SHARK 6 DMO leads. However, Land Cruiser Prado may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Land Cruiser Prado vs SHARK 6 DMO questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.