Photo: Toyota
The FJ Cruiser was a magnificent beast. A bit utilitarian, a bit retro, and massively capable when the going gets rough, the SUV went into production in 2006 only to be discontinued ten years later. A lot of die-hard fans mourned its death, but Toyota has a surprise in store for FJ aficionados in the guise of a concept vehicle.
About the FT-4X, well, all we know about is what our eyes can see in the featured teaser pic. That’d be concept-like Goodyear 255/55 R18 off-road tires, plastic cladding on the wheel arch, and a bit of orange-ish paint. Toyota, for its part, can reveal at this point that the FT-4X is going to go official at the 2017 New York International Auto Show, which opens its doors this April.
Another clue as to this concept’s off-road proficiency is, “Four wheeling. Scene Stealing,” whatever that is. But you see, the plot gets thicker still because Toyota registered the FT-4X trademark in the United States in October 2016. Could this mean an FJ Cruiser successor could make it to production at some point by the decade's end? Maybe. Or maybe not.
I’m willing to go with maybe, chiefly because proper SUVs such as the Jeep Wrangler will always have a fan base all across the world. And as the industry goes forward with the crossover, the capability of an all-out, full-on sport utility vehicle is all the more in demand. What’s more, do bear in mind that Ford will reintroduce the Bronco in 2020 as an adventure-oriented SUV.
Both rugged design and plentiful ground clearance both face extinction in this day and age, chiefly because luxury an in-car infotainment take center stage in the general public’s eye. Still, Toyota needs the public’s collective thumbs up in the Big Apple to remodel and adapt the FT-4X for series production.
If, fingers crossed, the FT-4X Concept will ever get the green light, it goes without question Toyota will replace the 4.0L 1GR-FE V6 with a more efficient powerplant. What’s more, a manual transmission would be Godsend.
Another clue as to this concept’s off-road proficiency is, “Four wheeling. Scene Stealing,” whatever that is. But you see, the plot gets thicker still because Toyota registered the FT-4X trademark in the United States in October 2016. Could this mean an FJ Cruiser successor could make it to production at some point by the decade's end? Maybe. Or maybe not.
I’m willing to go with maybe, chiefly because proper SUVs such as the Jeep Wrangler will always have a fan base all across the world. And as the industry goes forward with the crossover, the capability of an all-out, full-on sport utility vehicle is all the more in demand. What’s more, do bear in mind that Ford will reintroduce the Bronco in 2020 as an adventure-oriented SUV.
Both rugged design and plentiful ground clearance both face extinction in this day and age, chiefly because luxury an in-car infotainment take center stage in the general public’s eye. Still, Toyota needs the public’s collective thumbs up in the Big Apple to remodel and adapt the FT-4X for series production.
If, fingers crossed, the FT-4X Concept will ever get the green light, it goes without question Toyota will replace the 4.0L 1GR-FE V6 with a more efficient powerplant. What’s more, a manual transmission would be Godsend.
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