Feature Story, Features, Mechanics, Profiles

Behind the scenes of a LandCruiser Prado ad

Toyota Australia’s Jimmy Chin talks us through the new Prado’s evaluation testing in some of the Northern Territory’s most extreme terrain.

Workdays don’t come much better that waking to the sound of jabiru birds and a hot sun rising over Kakadu’s scorched red earth.

For Toyota Australia’s Jimmy Chin, this special part of Australia’s Top End is home for the next week.

He’s a core member of Toyota’s team launching the all-new LandCruiser Prado 4X4 in the Northern Territory, where perfect planning and expert support is needed in such a demanding, unpredictable environment. For a mechanic, the contrast to a packed and bustling metro area service department couldn’t be starker.

Jimmy’s job title is vehicle evaluation and suitability test technician, which in this case, means ensuring the new-generation Prado’s even more competent, refined and desirable than its huge-selling predecessor.

Image: Iain Curry

As ours is the world’s largest LandCruiser vehicle market, Toyota Australia’s engineering team is deeply involved in developing and testing the new Prado. Helping matters, our sunburnt country has 80 per cent of the world’s environment types, and Australia’s the only testing location outside Japan for the model.

With all the hard work done, the time finally comes to launch the new car to local media for evaluation. For Prado, that’s not going to happen in city suburbs, hence our Kakadu National Park gathering just ahead of wet season, and the mercury exceeding 40°C each day.

A day’s work

Jimmy’s on the frontline. “Part of my role is new model launch support, including deciding on drive routes for journalists to go on,” he says. “We want it to be as engaging and exciting as possible, showing the LandCruiser Prado in its best light, but we also need to consider the risk factor. It needs to be safe.”

The country up here is wild and extreme. There’s not just mad heat, but treacherous roads, hidden obstacles and the potential for huge rains and flash floods. Proving the point, day one of our drive sees the Prado’s thermometer registering 43°C outside, then almost immediately plunging 15°C as the heavens open. Cue huge, deep muddy red-earth puddles for the Prado cavalcade to splash and slide through.

Image: Iain Curry

With all that successfully navigated, there’s still the kangaroos, water buffalos, wild horses and – most importantly – crocs to be wary about. All of the above (plus a donkey and dingo) got close enough for a good look at the new Toyota 4X4.

Jimmy and his team have seen it all before. “Within the last month or two we’ve come out, reconned and checked all the roads we’d be using,” he explains. “Not just once, but several times. We’ve had to modify the routes several times, as off-roading is a lot more restricted due to it being in a National Park. We’ve had some challenges to get approval to make the drive as engaging as possible, but managed to get to places that aren’t marked on a map or accessible to the public. That’s fantastic.”

Desert storm

Some of the routes are tortuous. Incredible incline volcanic rock climbs, deep water crossings, mud and sand trails and fast, open bush roads with some of the finest red dust known to man. The new Prados – superbly capable 4X4s – soak up the punishment, but Jimmy and his crew are prepared for any issues.

“Many things need to be taken into account,” he says. “For spare parts, it depends on the severity of the course. There’s a level of calculated risk in terms of acceptable damage we can anticipate.” This is key, as many of the journalists are experienced 4X4 drivers, and must thoroughly test the Toyotas to give informed evaluation for their audience. Those reading the reviews will include potential buyers, and they’re hungry for real-world testing opinions.

Image: Toyota Australia

“We’ve brought at least two additional spare tyres and a set of side steps for each vehicle,” Jimmy says. “We anticipate there’s a high chance these will be contacted or damaged because of the nature of the vehicle and where we’re testing it. Some of the roads, tracks and trails not being open to the public mean they’re not maintained.”

Jimmy’s in a support vehicle (a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series) with cage trailer behind. Inside are the spare wheels, recovery tracks, tools, emergency kits and more. “I’ve a full travel toolkit which covers us in most situations,” he explains. “It includes a torque wrench, sockets, tyre pressure gauge, cable ties and race tape, just in case. We have the usual sort of straps, fixing screws and bolts.”

Stunt double

Throughout the drive Jimmy’s in the background, ready to jump into action as required. Maybe it’s the sheer rugged ability of the Prado, maybe it’s the exact planning, but all goes seamlessly with only a couple of punctures to report. At day’s end the team give each test Prado a good looking over, checking tyre pressures, wheel nut torque and that engine fluids are still level.

Image: Toyota Australia

Naturally, there’s many more aspects to think about on such an event. Vehicle movements must be well managed, and of course you must fuel the things. “If you go to a remote area, the basics are a must,” says Jimmy, his experience in this field proving vital. “You must have a recovery kit and a first aid kit on board, even if we have a medic on these events. There has to be enough snacks and water to get us through in case something does happen. We must be self-sufficient.”

I’d imagine there’s a solid number of mechanics reading this wondering how they could get a gig like Jimmy’s. Born and raised in Melbourne with an interest in cars from boyhood, he progressed into automotive from an engineering background. He’s based at Toyota’s Product Centre at its Centre of Excellence facility in Altona, Victoria, where the manufacturing plant once produced Camrys until it closed in October 2017.

“You should have an open mind, a willingness to travel and just be engaged,” Jimmy says of getting to his current role. “Be enthusiastic and try to reach the role you want to do. Take up opportunities and be open to trying different things.”

He also advises up-skilling your driving, which for most car enthusiasts should be fun money well spent. “It’s always good in our role to take on defensive driving courses, as well as off-road driver training,” Jimmy says. “It’ll build up your driving skill level; which is important because we do evaluate a lot of cars.”

As for potential employers, a brand like Toyota has the size, budget and reputation for thoroughness to embark on exhaustive research and development. “It’s the big companies which are the ones that mainly do this level of evaluation and testing,” says Jimmy. “Those and aftermarket accessory companies, they’re the ones to go for.”

Image: Iain Curry

Finally, I ask Jimmy what it’s like to prepare and look after a fleet of off-road Prados in some of Australia’s harshest conditions when they’re being tested to the extreme by motoring journalists. Drivers who, let’s be honest, don’t have a reputation for having much mechanical sympathy.

Jimmy’s grin says it all. “They drive the cars how they’re meant to be driven. They help us.” After three days of hardcore testing and only a couple of flat tyres to show for it, looks like all that hard development work has paid off.

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