Since at least 2022 Toyota has been teasing the idea of a mini SUV that draws on the Land Cruiser’s rich heritage. Now that vehicle has arrived, revealed in full ahead of the Japan Mobility Show at the end of the month. It’s called the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ, reviving the old chassis code-turned-model name last seen on the FJ Cruiser.
Just to give a brief history of how we got to this point, the Land Cruiser FJ began as a design study called the Toyota Compact Cruiser, which envisioned a small SUV with design cues inspired by the Land Cruiser and dearly departed FJ Cruiser. Then Toyota teased a silhouette of it when it unveiled the Land Cruiser 250 in 2023. Best Car fueled the rumor mill in 2024 saying that it would arrive the following year, and patent renderings were discovered earlier this year.
Toyota didn’t reveal much info, but the prototype looks quite a bit chunkier than the Compact Cruiser concept, which won a Car Design Award in Milan that year. The concept was brilliant, but if there was one doubt it was that its proportions looked more like those of a crossover than a ladder frame SUV.
The Land Cruiser FJ prototype, on the other hand, looks higher and burlier because it’s a genuine body-on-frame SUV. It’s built atop a Toyota Hilux platform and is powered by the same 2TR-FE 2.7-liter gasoline engine that can be found in some N220 and N300 Tacomas and N280 4Runners. Toyota harkens the design motif to that of a dice, with chamfered edges featuring heavily on the body FJ stands for “Freedom and Joy”, no longer the F engine and J chassis that rigs like the FJ40 and FJ60 got their names from.
Perhaps the best part about the LCFJ is that it was designed with customization in mind, sort of like an off-road Scion. You can replace the C-shaped headlights with old school round ones. MOLLE panels in the cargo area allow owners to organize their gear any way they want. It looks like snorkels and safari racks will be factory accessories as well. It even has removable bumpers for easily replacement if damaged during off-roading. They can also be quickly swapped, and we’re imagining some kind of ‘roo bar or winch attachment.
The LCFJ has real off-road chops. Toyota says its wheel articulation is equivalent to the rugged 70-series. Its wheelbase is over 10.5 inches shorter than the LC250’s, and its turning radius is only 18 feet. Designers also built in a low cowl and beltline in order to maximize visibility, all big advantages forr maneuverability in tight off-road situations.
Sadly, there are no plans to sell the LCFJ in the US or Europe. Speaking with Automotive News, Chief Engineer Masaya Uchiyama says “There are no plans for America or Europe,” believing that it’s too small. It will be built in Thailand and sold mostly in Asia and the Middle East.
Akio Toyoda once counted the Suzuki Jimny among his favorite cars and even displayed one at the Toyota booth at the Tokyo Auto Salon. Though the Land Cruiser FJ is much bigger than a kei car, maybe now he won’t need to go out-of-brand for a serious compact SUV.
Images courtesy of Toyota.
Hmm….. Lego Car or what?
And, as usual, we don’t get the cool toys.
Can’t wait to import one in 25+ years 🙂
I’m legit butthurt they aren’t bringing this to the US.