Toyota FJ Cruiser

Overview

Amidst the whole crowd of modern, practical cars and utility vehicles in Toyota’s lineup, there exists a funky and cool SUV. Named the FJ Cruiser, it stands out with its quirky but interesting concept car like stance. Born as a retro-styled concept car in North American International Auto Show back in 2003, the FJ Cruiser came to life in 2004 as a production car owing to its immense response from the show. The vehicle has ended up its life cycle in most of the markets, however, the midsize SUV is still going strong in many Asian countries, including the Philippines. Priced at Php 1,998,000, the FJ Cruiser is being offered in only one standard variant with a V6 powertrain and a host of color options of white, yellow, black, beige, cement grey, smokey blue, and red.

Interior & Features

While the Toyota FJ Cruiser deserves praises and applause for its uniquely styled exteriors, where it loses all the excitement generated is its interiors. Though the overall cabin too consists of some stand-out elements, the fact that its overall layout feels dated robs-off the desirability of the SUV.

The FJ Cruiser gets a conventional round themed three-spoke steering wheel, with no buttons for audio controls giving it an archaic feel. The conventional three-pod layout for instrument console with no MID screen further makes the cockpit look plain.

The centre console has a broad, vertical design to it and looks pretty dated, thanks to the presence of an old-school 2-DIN audio unit. The rectangular AC vents placed at the top of the centre console have a digital clock stacked in between. The three uniquely placed and designed dials above the centre console look funky and show different off-road information including a compass.

The centre console, as well as the side doors of the FJ Cruiser, gets color-coded finish, thus lifting up the ambience of the otherwise very plain and old-school interiors. With the lack of modern features like auto AC and keyless entry, the FJ Cruiser feels a bit outdated.

However, the SUV comes with a couple of decent features like cruise control, eight-way adjustable front driver’s seat, and navigation system. When it comes to space, the FJ Cruiser doesn’t disappoint you, with enough room for five passengers and a large boot space.

Exterior

Unlike other Toyota cars which have a very safe approach towards designing, the FJ Cruiser stands out as quirky and distinctive looks. Thus making it a one of a kind design in Toyota’s lineup. The FJ Cruiser has been in the market for a while now, but still manages to look quite futuristic owing to its unique design elements.

At the front, Toyota FJ Cruiser has got a silver finished rectangular grille that engulfs the headlamps. The FJ Cruiser is currently the only vehicle in the lineup which gets the old-school Toyota logo and symbolic of an age-old car. The turn indicators are placed on the edges of the front grille. The front bumper too has a heavy duty design with large black cladding and silver skid plates, along with silver finished panels and fog lamps.

On the sides, the quirky essence of the frontal design continues with door mounted vertically designed rear view mirrors. The FJ Cruiser also gets ‘suicide doors’ as seen on Rolls Royce cars, with a common silver finished door handle on the front door. The large C-pillar and bulging roofline above it gives it a bulky stance, which further gets accentuated by the large ground clearance, side body cladding, and black colored alloy wheels.

At the rear, the FJ Cruiser has got an old school squared out layout with a massive spare tyre mounted on the center of the rear hatch along with silver finished tyre cover over it. The tiny tail lamp units are placed on the outer side edges of the rear hatch. The hatch gets massive body cladding on it, with silver finished edges on the rear bumper. To add some more funkiness to the design, Toyota has finished the roof in contrasting white color.

Ride & Handling

The Toyota FJ Cruiser comes equipped with a fuss-free suspension setup. With the double wishbone at the front and a 4-link with a lateral rod at the rear. The overall suspension has been tuned to a stiffer side to give it as much traction on the loose tarmac as possible. The 4WD setup works flawlessly and gives the FJ Cruiser a smooth ride over the roads less taken. The FJ Cruiser is also armed with disc brakes all around for bringing this mammoth SUV to halt with ease.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

At the heart of the Toyota FJ Cruiser lies a 4.0-litre V6 petrol engine with dual VVT-I technology. And this is where it hides all the disappointment generated by the dated interiors. The FJ Cruiser, even with its heavy kerb weight of nearly two tonnes, flies off from idle with a nice wave of power. It has a linear power delivery. The engine gets mated to a 5-speed automatic gearbox and a full time four wheel drive layout.

Braking & Safety

Given its old-school appeal, it is safe to say that the Toyota FJ Cruiser lacks all the modern electronic riding aids. Nevertheless, the FJ Cruiser gets front dual airbags, ABS, ISOFIX mounts, vehicle stability control, and traction control.

Verdict

The FJ Cruiser is one Toyota vehicle which puts practicality on the backseat and fun factor on higher priority. This SUV comes with a disappointing interior, harsh ride quality, low efficiency, and is not as convenient to drive as the modern SUVs. But then, it is one of those very few SUVs to have kept the old-school flavour kept intact, with quirky and futuristic looking exteriors, a very capable off-road suspension and drive setup. The FJ Cruiser is not your everyday practical ride, but then, this is one Toyota vehicle which manages to bring out the speed junkie in you.