The Japanese automaker is currently preoccupied with setting the future of its namesake and luxury division's future in stone – all taking place at the inaugural edition of the Japan Mobility Show.
Formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show for almost seven decades, the Tokyo Big Sight event keeps the banner up for 'traditional' automotive shows with a flurry of concept cars and prototypes rather than new model introductions. Sure, the latter are also part of the show, but the party is all about the future, not the now.
And it's a deeply electrified one, mainly if we discuss Toyota's ideas, which include stuff like the IMV 0 modular pickup/van concept developed for all sorts of commercial venues like street food trucks and whatnot. Then there's also the Land Cruiser Se – the first electric model to bear the legendary nameplate – or the FT-3e crossover SUV plus the FT-Se sports car – just to name a few.
However, one of the most eagerly anticipated Toyotas was a little different. Alongside the silhouette of an electric CUV that turned out to be the Land Cruiser Se back in August, the Japanese automaker also teased a smaller model with the rugged characteristics of a potential FJ Cruiser successor. Well, everyone expected it to be named 'Land Hopper' because of a trademark filing that was uncovered around the same time.
But, in the end, it is actually just a three-wheel EV mobility concept – not a 'mini' Toyota Land Cruiser based on the body-on-frame TNGA-F platform that also underpins the 2024 Land Cruiser (Prado or 250 in specific markets) plus the full-size J300 Land Cruiser that was introduced during the summer of 2021. Alas, do you think the imaginative realm of digital car content creators let it slide? Nope, not at all – at least as far as the good folks over at AutoYa Interior are concerned.
They are a satellite venue of the peeps from AutoYa, and now they're ready to show us their proposal for a compact yet rugged body-on-frame Toyota Land Cruiser from the inside out. Of course, their other renderings showcasing the potential design of this baby Land Cruiser are also present – in a variety of colors – reflecting a styling that feels like a shrunken 2024 Land Cruiser, albeit with additional body cladding to make it cheaper and more durable.
Interestingly, while the rumor mill claims the potential mini Land Cruiser would be as affordable as either a Toyota Corolla Cross (2023MY starts at $23,610) or a best-selling RAV4 (2024MY kicks off at $28,475), their unofficial depiction of the interior – which takes cues from the Tacoma and 2024 Land Cruiser – is not cheap at all, especially with the ritzy color choices enabled through CGI mastery. As for the powertrain – if this model would hit a pricing sweet spot between the Corolla Cross and RAV4, nothing says it couldn't have a 2.0-liter tuned at around 190 horsepower to fight the Bronco Sport 1.5 EcoBoost, right?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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