Why on earth does Toyota North America need another SUV when they’re clearly knee-deep in the things? They already have the Rav4, 4Runner, Highlander, Land Cruiser and Sequoia, not to mention the Tacoma and Tundra pickups. The answer is simple: Image. Toyota is aiming its new FJ Cruiser straight at the Nissan Xterra, a rugged little SUV that has been embraced by the ‘youth’ as the conduit for snow bikes and mountain boards and that hokum.
The Xterra has even given rise to a few enthusiast clubs comprised of people who try their darndest to get their vehicles stuck in the wilderness, bestowing untold credibility and immeasurable coolness upon Nissan – and all without costing the company a PR penny. The FJ’s job is to steal some of these image-conscious twenty-somethings from its archrival, while also re-establishing Toyota as a maker of proper, off-road machinery. This will, in turn, reflect favourably on the rest of the SUV range, which could use a jolt of excitement. And all this makes the FJ rather important to Toyota. I can still remember my primary school Geography book had a picture of a mid-seventies Toyota FJ40 in the chapter about Africa.
Back then, the FJ was as much a part of the developing world as the Land Rover but when the FJ went out of production in the mid-eighties Toyota moved the Land Cruiser upmarket and left the mud-plugging to the likes of Land Rover and Jeep. I’m clearly not the only one who remembers the FJ’s heritage, however, because the new FJ has the exact same grille and headlamp arrangement, positioned at the end of a tapered bonnet and flanked by two thick mudguards, just as before. And despite the retro beak, the rest of the bodywork is pure show-car futurism, a real shot of Red Bull compared to the rest of Toyota’s ginger ale line-up. Is it handsome? Not really - at least not in the conventional sense. Is it arresting? You have the right to remain silent while your jaw flaps.
Will it have the desired effect? Most definitely.
Toyota has learned from Scion that unusual and challenging styling is something that gets the youth market very excited. Gen Z, or whatever youngsters are called these days, are all about defying convention and confronting perceptions. The FJ is bold, challenging and emotional. It’s a sure-fire hit. A set of trendy, clamshell doors open wide for easy access to the cabin, while the tailgate opens sideways with a top-hinged backlight to supposedly allow surfboards and other extreme sports apparel to poke out. The cabin environment itself is spacious yet curiously murky, although the body-colour door trims and centre console try valiantly to inject some festivity into the gloom. Easy-to-read dials nestle underneath a shallow shroud that’s a touch too close to the steering wheel - a wheel that doesn’t adjust for reach, as it happens, making it a little uncomfortable for long-legged drivers.
The seats themselves are comfortable, though, and covered in a water resistant material, which, along with the rubber floor covering, signals that Toyota is very serious about the FJ’s off-road intentions. Its high beltline and incredibly thick C-pillars do make it a very difficult car to see out of, so owners will need to be extra cautious when negotiating tight mountain passes, as well as changing lanes or travelling in reverse. I have to confess I’m baffled by the featureless slab of plastic that faces the front passenger. There isn’t even a grab handle or an airbag sticker to break the monotony, although this curious feature might be an indication of the FJ’s potential suitability to right-hand-drive.
Toyota’s saying nothing yet, but I have my suspicions that the temptation to launch an attention-seeker like this in Europe will be too great to resist. The FJ is built on the Land Cruiser’s ladder-frame platform, modified so its double-wishbone front and four-link, solid-axle rear suspension can offer 20 and 23 cm of wheel travel, respectively. Two-wheel-drive FJ Cruisers use a ‘virtual’ LSD which employs the traction control system to keep the wheel with the most grip spinning, though an electronic locking rear differential is available, oddly. It’s also very unusual to find that 2WD FJs have a switch-operated, low-ratio transfer case. Why fit such a complex, heavy and expensive feature on a two wheel-drive vehicle, I wonder? All wheel-drive FJs use a permanent 4WD system that employs a ‘Torsen’ centre differential to divert torque 40:60 front-to-rear in normal conditions or 50:50 when locked. All have a variable-ratio, rack-and pinion steering with extra off-roading articulation, though the manual model is the real hardcore choice thanks to its super-slow crawling gear (41.84:1 compared to 33.76:1 for the auto, if you care).
There’s only one engine available, a 239 bhp,377 Nm,4.0-litre V6 mated to a 5-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual (optional on 4x4 models only). The automatic transmission has a variable shift pattern so it doesn’t always default to the highest possible gear, while the 6-speed has a long but manageable throw. Performance isn’t blistering considering the 4X4 models weigh a solid 1948 kg, but the powerful engine prevents it from being a complete slug: 0-100 km/h should take around 8 seconds and top speed is around 180 km/h, I estimate. Our test route consisted of mostly very mild off-road terrain and while it acquitted itself admirably in such circumstances it felt rather bulky and cumbersome on the road. Body control is reasonably well contained but the steering is way too slow and light for even vaguely enthusiastic driving, and there’s also a noticeable shift in weight when you step on the brakes hard. The stability control system, which can’t be switched off, kicks in hard at the slightest sign of wheel slip, too, so you soon give up trying to push it and settle into a more relaxed amble. Not that I really mind. I mean, balls-out driving isn’t really what the FJ Cruiser is about, now is it? Nope, the FJ’s primary focus is the great outdoors and for that reason I like it a lot.
To my mind, it’s every bit as clear about its intentions as a Ford Transit or a Lotus Elise and because of that it deserves to do well, while also giving Toyota SUV buyers something tangible to relate to even if they don’t actually buy an FJ Cruiser themselves. Simply put, it’s job done for the FJ. All Toyota has to do now is sit back and let the FJ enthusiast clubs appear.
INFO Toyota FJ Cruiser
Engine: 3,956 cc, V6, 239 bhp, 377 Nm
Transmission: 5-speed auto, two-speed transfer case, RWD (6speed manual, AWD optional) Acceleration: 0-100 km/h in 8 seconds
Top Speed: 180 km/h
Weight: 1948 kg (4X4)
Economy: 11.8 L/100 km (4X4)
Boot Capacity: 790 litres (1892 rear seats folded)
Prices: $21,710 - $23,300 (€17,890 - €19,200)
Irish Price: N/A
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