Toyota has made the Land Cruiser FJ, which is the company’s smallest off-road vehicle. This small SUV, which is based on the Hilux, may last as long as its powerful predecessor, the 70 Series. Can people in North America buy the little Land Rover? Do not hold your breath. The retro-modern style of the Toyota FJ Cruiser is coming back in a kid-sized form just in time for trick-or-treating. The new Toyota Land Cruiser FJ is a Muppet Babies version of the full-size Land Cruiser that is sold in the US. It is built on the same IMV basis as the Hilux, which is Toyota’s current pickup truck. Though it’s part of the Land Cruiser family, this new mini-off-roader is different in a good way. There are eleven inches less of it and the wheelbase is just over 101 inches long. It’s 180.1 inches long, 77.2 inches wide, and just over six feet tall. Toyota didn’t say how high it is off the ground, but the pictures make it look like it will be almost as tough as its bigger brothers. Toyota says that this FJ’s wheel movement is the same as that of the 1970 Series, which was its almost indestructible predecessor. This car has a 2.7-liter inline four engine that makes 161 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. You can get part-time four-wheel drive, and the transmission is a six-speed automatic. Toyota also says that the front and back bumper covers can be taken off if you damage them accidentally, and extra support under the floor makes it better for off-road use. All of this is really cute, and it looks like the family SUV on Bluey. But will that small draw carry over to this side of the Pacific? Toyota has no plans to sell in the US or Europe. Let’s go clean their world offices with toilet paper. In North America for now, only cars built on Toyota’s TNGA platform will be sold. This platform is pretty big. Customers can still choose between a Land Cruiser or a 4Runner, as well as different levels of the Tacoma truck. Even though they don’t sell very many, Toyota does offer the latter with a real six-speed manual transmission. Even so, the heart still longs for things that are out of reach. The new Land Cruiser FJ is a more useful size than cars like the Jimny, which is now sold in Mexico. It also fits in with the style of small but classy SUVs like the Suzuki Samurai. Toyota, it’s October now. Please. The world needs some off-road fun.
