Story & photos by Patrick Tulfo
THERE are very few vehicles out there that command attention wherever they go, and the Toyota FJ Cruiser is one of them. It was conceptualized back in the mid-1990s by Toyota product planner Dave Danzer and then vice-president for sales and operations Yoshi Inaba.
The idea was to build a new FJ with the rugged capabilities of the original FJ40—no less than Toyota President and CEO Akio Toyoda who was directly involved on its conceptualization until its production.
The retro design penned by 24-year-old designer Jim Won Kim was chosen among other designs, which included the 2001 rugged sports coupe. The interior, meanwhile, was done by Bill Chergosky, a veteran Chrysler designer who was also brought in to lead the program.
The FJ Cruiser debuted at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show and received positive feedbacks from journalists and public alike. It was again showcased at the 2005 North American International Auto Show, though it had a few interior modifications done by Chief Production Engineer Akio Nishimura to keep the price reasonable and this was also its final form before production, which began in 2006.
It took Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) several years before it finally introduced the FJ Cruiser in the country and at the tail end of its production in other countries, such as the United States, which was a pity in this scribe’s opinion as the gray market where it was initially available has been making a killing in sales. When it was finally sold in the country, Toyota dealers all over the country had their hands full in trying to meet the demands.
In fact, the FJ Cruiser may be one of the models sold by Toyota, which, according to an insider, was so popular that, regardless of what color that was available, the buyers didn’t mind, as long they get their hands on one.
And it’s easy to see why as the sport-utility vehicle is a looker, this is one of the few vehicles that doesn’t have any bad angle any way you looked at it.
Toyota did a good job in staying in their goal in recreating one of their most venerated vehicle in their lineup.
After all, the first generation FJ 40, whose production ended in 1984, was still being manufactured in Brazil until the 1990s, giving it the distinction of being one of the longest vehicles in production ever since its introduction just like the original Volkswagen beetle.
The beefy frame and the short wheelbase pay homage to the original FJ, as well as the upright windshield, which also features a unique three-wiper combination a necessity as the windshield is narrow. The front end also features the same round halogen headlamps, just like the original. And, instead of the new corporate logo, it has the Toyota name in the middle of the grille—again in keeping up with the retro look.
It has five doors, three, including the rear, plus two suicide doors, making it unique in the segment. The bulging rear also features the same narrow windows making hard to see when you’re backing up. It’s a good thing that it has the requisite rear sensors to guide the drivers. The spare tire with cover is also attached to the door.
Inside is a combination of old and new, the rather large dashboard is made of quality plastic. It features two compartments aside from the usual one found on the passenger side. The cluster consisting of an inclinometer, compass and an electronic temperature reading are also located above the dashboard.
The middle front houses the radio, which plays MP3s, cds and has an auxiliary port for cell phones and other music source. The old or the retro is represented by a color-coded plastic panel in the middle, which can also be found on the doors.
The gated automatic shifter, as well as 4wd shift control, are the short variety and seem made to stand abuse.
Despite its short wheelbase, the FJ features a rather roomy interior even for tall passengers. The roominess extends even up to the rear and there is little need to install a separate roof rack for additional cargo capacity. Another noteworthy feature is the rear can also be hosed down if it gets dirty. The FJ Cruiser, as expected, was a hoot to drive the 4.0 Dual-VVTI six-cylinder engine pumps out 268 hp and 380 N-m of torque. This translates to a lively acceleration on road and more than enough power to tackle the unpredictable off-roads.
It was not as thirsty as I thought, but getting a respectable 6 kilometers to a liter and as high as 10 km on the highway, as long as it’s driven judiciously, is not bad at all.
In the US the FJ Cruiser has already been discontinued and there is no word from Toyota if it’s coming out with a replacement. Fortunately for us and those in Australia, as well as the Middle East, Toyota continues to market the FJ.
But there is no word from TMP as to how long the FJ Cruiser will be sold here so, it’s not a bad idea to get one while you still can.