New information about the “mini Toyota Land Cruiser” – a potential competitor to the Suzuki Jimny

Recently, in the world of cars, rumors about the “mini Toyota Land Cruiser” have been continuously appearing. This rumor is more grounded when Toyota deliberately revealed images of 2 mysterious SUV models, believed to be new members of the Land Cruiser family, at the launch event of the new generation Land Cruiser Prado in August 2023. Within the 2 vehicles, there is a wild SUV believed to be a scaled-down version of the Toyota Land Cruiser.

The new member of the Toyota Land Cruiser family is rumored to be officially named the Land Cruiser FJ. This name has been trademarked in Japan since November 2023. This is also a name that evokes the discontinued Toyota FJ Cruiser.

Up until now, there is additional information related to the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ. According to Japan’s Bestcarweb, the vehicle will be developed based on the separate ladder frame structure of the Toyota Hilux Champ. This is not surprising as Toyota Land Cruiser enthusiasts would surely not be satisfied if the newborn of this family of vehicles used an integral frame.

Hilux Champ is Toyota’s strategic model in the Asian region and was officially introduced in Thailand in November 2023. Users can add a body to the frame to turn the Toyota Hilux Champ into a pickup truck, van, or camping car. The frame of the Toyota Hilux Champ promises to bring durability, strength, and necessary off-road capability to the new Toyota Land Cruiser FJ.

In addition, Bestcarweb also revealed the engine that will be used for the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ. Accordingly, this small SUV will be equipped with the familiar 2.7L straight-four 2TR-FE petrol engine. This is the engine used for the new generation Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. This petrol engine will deliver a maximum output of 163 horsepower and is combined with a 4WD drivetrain.

According to some sources, Toyota has considered equipping the Land Cruiser FJ with a hybrid engine and a 2.8L 1GD-FTV four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine. However, both engines were later removed from the list. The reason may be partly related to the scandal of cheating the test of the 1GD-FTV engine.

Currently, there is not much information about the design, size, and equipment of the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ. Rumor has it that the vehicle will be developed based on a concept car called Compact Cruiser EV, which was introduced in 2021. This rumor could be true as the Toyota Compact Cruiser EV itself had a design style similar to the FJ Cruiser.

The exterior design of the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ is predicted to combine details from the Compact Cruiser EV and the new generation Land Cruiser Prado. The vehicle will feature an overall square design with extended fenders and robust pillars similar to other members of the Toyota Land Cruiser family. Additionally, the car may be equipped with both rectangular and circular headlights like the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 250.

The Toyota Land Cruiser FJ will be the smallest member of the Land Cruiser family. According to predictions, this vehicle will have dimensions of 4,500 x 1,830 x 1,850 mm in length, width, and height respectively, with a wheelbase of 2,750 mm. If that’s the case, the car will be larger than the Suzuki Jimny.

It is highly likely that the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ will be officially unveiled in December this year. The vehicle is expected to have a price range of 3.5 – 4.5 million yen (about 570 – 733 million VND).

According to some sources, Toyota’s new SUV will focus on markets such as Southeast Asia, Japan, Africa, and South America. Therefore, it would not be surprising if the vehicle is also sold in Vietnam in the future.