Next-generation Toyota FJ-Cruiser on the cards?

Don’t we all miss the Toyota FJ Cruiser? The retro, one-of-a-kind off-roader last rolled off the factory floor in 2022 after serving as Toyota’s rugged adventure model for over 15 long years.

Powered by a gutsy 4.0-litre V6 petrol engine, the FJ Cruiser features round headlights, short wheelbase and nearly upright windscreen in boxy proportions. It was designed as a homage to the utilitarian Toyota FJ40 from the 60s. During the peak of its production run, the FJ Cruiser was particularly popular in North America, the Middle East and Australia.

Toyota hinted at a next-generation FJ Cruiser model in 2017 with the FT-4X concept. Penned by Toyota’s Calty Design Research studio in California, the FT-4X concept reignited the rugged charm of the FJ Cruiser but stopped short of making it to production.

It’s been a long hiatus since but what can we expect if Toyota was to build a new FJ Cruiser today? Virtual automotive design studio AI Car Design gives us a good glimpse right here.

This is by far one of the most realistic renderings of the new FJ Cruiser we have seen to date (thanks to the power of Artificial Intelligence). It sports all the hallmarks of the original FJ Cruiser, albeit modernised for 2025. The round headlights are gone and in their place a much more contemporary and squarish projector headlights. The bonnet air scoop has been made more prominent, so are the boxed wheel arch extensions. It’s pretty much production ready. Toyota just has to answer the call.

If it does indeed see the light of day, we can expect the FJ Cruiser to share the same powertrain as the current LandCruiser Prado which is a 150kW/ 500Nm 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine matched with an 8-speed automatic transmission and a dual-range 4×4 system. A full-electric powertrain may be possible as well, just like the one Toyota is developing for the electrified HiLux.

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