Photo: Toyota
On May 25, Toyota filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office the wordmark “Tj Cruiser” for “automobiles and structural parts thereof.” Now we know what Tj Cruiser stands for, and that is a concept vehicle that’s scheduled to make its debut later in the month at the 45th Tokyo Motor Show.
If you think that the exterior styling is unbecoming of a concept car, wait ‘till you hear what “Tj” in Tj Cruiser means. According to Toyota, that’s “Toolbox” and “Joy.” The question is, why would you call a van-like people carrier as such? That’s “in reference to the joy of visiting various places by car,” apparently, which is hilarious considering that even the Corolla can do the job.
The other question that boggles the mind is why Toyota would use the SUV-exclusive “Cruiser” suffix for a squared-off van with four seats instead of the regular layout of seven? Here’s another explanation that doesn’t cut the mustard, not in the slightest sense: “To express the power of the vehicle.” Curious what’s this power thingy all about? As it happens, it’s a hybrid system that employs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline-fed engine. Oh, and the concept rides on the TNGA platform.
To add insult to injury, the 4,300-mm long and 1,775-mm wide concept sends all the suck-squeeze-bang-blow goodies to the front axle. It’s hard to wrap one’s mind around what Toyota is trying to prove with the Tj Cruiser, but then again, it’s only a concept designed with the Tokyo Motor Show in mind.
In defense of the Tj Cruiser, the seats can be reclined completely, thus making room for stuff up to 3 meters (118 inches) long. Think surfboards, bicycles, and the lot. Other than this van-wannabe-SUV, Toyota will debut three more models in Tokyo. These are the all-new Crown (pre-production concept), Century (pre-production prototype), and the GR HV Sports Concept.
The other question that boggles the mind is why Toyota would use the SUV-exclusive “Cruiser” suffix for a squared-off van with four seats instead of the regular layout of seven? Here’s another explanation that doesn’t cut the mustard, not in the slightest sense: “To express the power of the vehicle.” Curious what’s this power thingy all about? As it happens, it’s a hybrid system that employs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline-fed engine. Oh, and the concept rides on the TNGA platform.
To add insult to injury, the 4,300-mm long and 1,775-mm wide concept sends all the suck-squeeze-bang-blow goodies to the front axle. It’s hard to wrap one’s mind around what Toyota is trying to prove with the Tj Cruiser, but then again, it’s only a concept designed with the Tokyo Motor Show in mind.
In defense of the Tj Cruiser, the seats can be reclined completely, thus making room for stuff up to 3 meters (118 inches) long. Think surfboards, bicycles, and the lot. Other than this van-wannabe-SUV, Toyota will debut three more models in Tokyo. These are the all-new Crown (pre-production concept), Century (pre-production prototype), and the GR HV Sports Concept.
Google News