Toyota’s baby Land Cruiser could be arriving very soon and cost about as much as a RAV4.
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During the 2024 Land Cruiser reveal, Toyota teased a smaller, still off-road capable-looking SUV in the background. We also saw a similar “Compact Cruiser” amidst Toyota’s smorgasbord of new EV concepts back in 2021. Both vehicles could preview a new Toyota SUV coming, the Land Cruiser FJ.
Here’s what you need to know about it.
Land Cruiser FJ should be the name
A LandCruiserForum user has uncovered a Toyota trademark application in Japan for “Land Cruiser FJ.” Toyota used “Land Hopper” for a three-wheel mobility concept. Per the Japanese website Best Car, another option could be “Land Cruiser FUN.” No name has been confirmed. But we’d have Land Cruiser FJ as the front-runner if it comes to North America.
The Toyota Land Cruiser FJ should be body-on-frame
According to Best Car and other reports, the Land Cruiser FJ should be a body-on-frame SUV on a shortened TNGA-F platform. It should be a compact SUV, similar in size to the Corolla cross. And we’d bet it looks boxy, judging from Toyota’s teaser, the Compact Cruiser concept and recent designs like the new Lexus GX.
The Toyota Land Cruiser FJ won’t be an EV — at least initially
Toyota initially unveiled the Compact Cruser as an EV concept. But Best Car says the Land Cruiser FJ will have a combustion engine. That report has the Land Cruiser FJ getting the 2TR-FE engine, which is the 2.7-liter inline-four base engine from the second and third-generation Tacomas. The report lists outputs of 161 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque.
Per Best Car Toyota abandoned work on the hybrid engine planned for the Land Cruiser FJ. A new hybrid version could arrive a year after the Land Cruiser FJ’s launch. We’d bet the more powerful hybrid version is the one Toyota would bring to America.
When will the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ arrive?
Best Car thinks the timeline may be delayed as Toyota deals with the fallout from its emissions cheating scandal. The outlet now expects Toyota to announce the vehicle sometime in 2024 with deliveries beginning in Spring 2025. If America has to wait for a hybrid version, that would mean 2026.
How much will the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ cost?
The Land Cruiser FJ should be super-affordable. Best Car is projecting a starting price between 3.5 and 4.5 million yen in the Japanese Market, which would be between $23,000 and $30,000 in America at the present exchange rate. YouTube analysis Kirk Kreifels believes the vehicle would be a bit more expensive in America, perhaps in the $30,000 to $40,000 range and slot below the 4Runner.
Will Toyota bring the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ to America?
Toyota has not confirmed the Land Cruiser FJ is coming. So we don’t know whether America will get it. But if the vehicle can clear emissions and safety standards in America, there’s no reason to think Toyota would not consider it.
The Land Cruiser FJ would come in at a price point Toyota dominates. If well executed, it could be a strong competitor for vehicles like the Ford Bronco Sport and undercut some of the markets for the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco.
ToyotaToyota Land Cruiser FJ
Specs
| Powertrain | Gas/Hybrid |
| Body Style | Compact SUV |
| Arrival Date | 2026 (estimated) |
Pros
- Affordably priced off-roader
Cons
- Not confirmed for America yet
