It’s back. After years of whispers, teasers, and blurry spy shots taken through the foliage of rural Japan, Toyota has finally done it — the FJ name is reborn. Only this time, it’s not the chunky retro bruiser you remember. No, this is the baby Land Cruiser — think Defender 90-sized, but with that unmistakable Toyota sense of indestructibility baked into its DNA.
Meet the New Kid in the Cruiser Clan
The new Toyota FJ — short for Freedom and Joy, which sounds like a wellness retreat but actually describes a small 4×4 that could probably drive through one — is Toyota’s latest addition to its sprawling Land Cruiser family. Sitting below the 250 Series (the one currently sold in the UK), the FJ shrinks the formula but keeps the rugged spirit intact.
At 4,575mm long, 1,855mm wide, and 1,960mm tall, it’s within a whisker of the Land Rover Defender 90 — which is exactly the point. Toyota wants to lure a “new generation” of buyers into the Land Cruiser fold: people who want mountain-goat ability and retro charm, but in a package that fits into multi-storey car parks and modern lifestyles.
Mini Cruiser, Major Capability
Underneath, it shares its bones with the bigger 250, but with 270mm lopped out of the wheelbase. That makes it tiny by Land Cruiser standards — yet Toyota swears it’s just as capable off-road. Ground clearance and approach angles are nearly identical to the 250’s 215mm and 31 degrees, and a 5.5-metre turning circle should make light work of tight trails (or supermarket car parks).
Power comes from a humble 2.7-litre naturally aspirated four-pot pushing out 161bhp and 181lb ft — numbers that won’t make your pulse race but will, crucially, still run after the apocalypse. Drive goes to all four corners via a six-speed auto, and you can bet it’ll clamber over almost anything you point it at.
Chief branding officer Simon Humphries calls it “a minimal footprint with a new dimension in driving performance and manoeuvrability.” Translation: it’s small, scrappy, and built to go anywhere.
Designed to Get Dirty (and Look Good Doing It)
Visually, the FJ looks like someone threw a Land Cruiser and a Tonka truck into a blender — flared arches, squared-off bumpers, and a stance that screams ready for action. The modular bumpers can be removed and swapped out for custom ones, or just replaced when they inevitably meet a rock. There’s a smorgasbord of customisation options too: round headlights for retro lovers, cargo panels, even a snorkel if you plan to use it as Noah’s Ark.
Inside, it’s a refreshingly honest cabin. There’s a 12.5-inch touchscreen flanked by actual buttons — remember those? — and a tough, utilitarian layout that looks ready for muddy boots and rough roads.
Global Reach, Local Absence
The FJ will be built in Thailand and launched first in Japan mid-next year, before heading to Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East — the markets where Toyota’s off-roaders are practically family members.
Bad news for us in the UK: according to chief engineer Masaya Uchiyama, there are “no plans for America or Europe”. But given how quickly Toyota’s product plans evolve — and how much we love a compact off-roader with proper heritage — don’t count it out just yet.
If it does make the trip here, it’ll likely need a hybrid powertrain to keep the emissions people happy. Toyota already sells the 250 with a mild-hybrid diesel, so a small petrol-hybrid FJ wouldn’t be much of a stretch.
The Future of the Family
Toyota insists the Land Cruiser “will continue to evolve to meet societal demands while supporting the lives of customers around the world.” That’s corporate-speak for there’s more coming, and we’re here for it.
Because if this little FJ delivers on its promise — go-anywhere ability, indestructible engineering, and a whiff of old-school charm — it could be the most fun Land Cruiser in years.
Small in size, big in spirit, and named after Freedom and Joy. Sounds like the perfect antidote to a world obsessed with crossover clones.
Source: Toyota