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27/07/2011, 19:32
Car Review By MURRAY HUBBARD
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The old bloke in the local shopping centre car park summed it up pretty well. “Mate,” he said, “I’d buy one of those ... if it had a diesel.” We had a short conversation about what a good looking 4WD the FJ Cruiser is, and how the suicide doors were so practical, and then he headed off back to his 4WD - a diesel-powered two door.
Toyota Australia knows the lack of an oil burner will cost sales, but brought the FJ Cruiser to Australia any way. That goes to their credit. There are some who don’t give a hoot about the engine, and love the looks, power and Prado underpinnings. We seen quite a few of these owners - usually small businesses like plumbers and other trades where the petrol bill is picked up by the company.
There’s no doubt the FJ Cruiser fills another need for Toyota: that of changing perceptions that it only produces unexciting vehicles ... cars that have limited appeal to the younger generation. FJ Cruiser and the boxy Rukus small car have the job of altering Australians’ perception of the company with the under 30s, a market segment into which Korean maker Hyundai is making in-roads. There’s no need to look at those over 30, they are already loyal Toyota customers driving around in Aurion, Camry, Prius, Yaris, LandCruiser, Corolla, Prado and RAV4.
After the triple whammy that hit Japan earlier this year Toyota is starting to again have supply of all models with the waiting list for new FJ Cruiser down to about a month. Dealers are also putting pressure on Toyota for a diesel variant, with many customers going in, driving the 4.0 litre petrol and leaving with the comment ‘call me when you get a diesel.’ That’s not a reflection on the 4.0 litre petrol engine in any negative sense, other than it is petrol. As a right-hand drive market that understands ‘diesel’ Australia is small fish compared to the US which is left hand drive with a preference for ‘gas’, and the market for which the FJ Cruiser was designed.
During our week-long road test of the Toyota FJ Cruiser we enjoyed the grunt of the Prado-sourced engine. An all-alloy, 24 valve DOHC with dual VVT-i this engine is a proven performer. It is hooked up to a smooth 5-speed auto transmission and for a vehicle that sits so high - 224 mm of the ground - the FJ Cruiser is remarkably car-like for a serious 4WD.
BODY STYLE
This is a new take on an old theme. The old FJ was a two door, so the addition of the back front-opening ‘suicide’ doors is a modern - yet at the same time traditional - method of overcoming a problem: access to the rear pew. In this the FJ excels with easy access both ways, as long as the front seat passenger is not wearing a seatbelt and the back of the front seat is well forward. Toyota admits not everyone will be suited to the FJ Cruiser because of this. With the younger market Toyota is trying to reach with the FJ Cruiser rear seat access is probably a moot point. The rear doors cannot be opened unless the front door is open, so some parents of young children might even see this as an advantage.
There is no mistaking the front of the new FJ Cruiser for anything but an off-road Tojo. It’s aggressive with short overhang and sits 224 mm off terra firma. For a medium-size vehicle it has a lot of road presence. While driving the vehicle for a week we felt a little like a fish in a bowl. Everyone looked. More importantly from our feedback they seemed to like what they saw.
POWERTRAIN
As mentioned this is pure Prado, one of the most popular 4WDs on Australian roads. The engine has 200 kW on tap at 5600 rpm and 380 Nm of torque from 4400 rpm. This is run through a five speed automatic lock-up torque converter and gated shift. The bottom line is the FJ Cruiser is smooth and quiet. The vehicle’s off-road credentials come from a two speed transfer case and a rear electrically-actuated diff lock. Add this technology to the already mentioned off-road clearances and the FJ Cruiser is an impressive package.
SAFETY
It was not that long ago SUVs and 4WDs were the poor cousins when it came to safety technology. All that has changed as new models hit the deck with the latest active and passive safety on board. The FJ Cruiser is no exception and includes vehicle stability control, active traction control, ABS brakes, brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution. Add to that six airbags, reversing camera - with the viewer in the rear vision mirror - rear parking sensors and active head restraints for the front seats.
INTERIOR DESIGN
The first impression is that you are sitting in the pilots seat of a light aircraft. The vertical dash conveys the cockpit feel about it, particularly with the windscreen well forward. In fact so far forward Toyota have included a roof-mounted side sunshade just above the grab handles on either side of the front seats. Like the exterior the dash is a new take on the old simple dash that you would see in an FJ or even a Land Rover. We like the large controls for air conditioning and audio, and also the remote controls for audio and Bluetooth on the steering wheel. The cruise control stalk is on the steering column. The front seats are of the semi-sport variety finished in cloth and both supportive and comfortable.
The rear pew which takes three passengers can be a little tight for anyone who suffers claustrophobia, particularly with the front seats pushed back. The large bodywork panels impede on the side window view. This also in some circumstances impedes the drivers’ left rear view when turning right into traffic. The good part is the seats are 60/40 split and with the rear seat base easily folded up and forward the seat backs fold flat to create an enormous cargo space ideal for camping gear etc. This fits in with what we implied earlier: a serious off-roader for adventurous young people.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
There is no doubt this is the best genuine 4WD wagon to come on to the Australian market for years. But, it has it’s limitations, as already discussed, and will not suit everyone. Driving the FJ Cruiser is like putting on your favourite pair of slippers. It feels just right. Outside the exterior and interior design cues, the FJ is straight-forward mechanically. That’s one place where retro had not impeded and the Prado running gear - along with the fact the platform is a shortened Prado chassis - is much the same driveline that is the choice of thousands of grey nomads right now circling Australia towing a van or camper trailer and many city-slickers who have traded down from a 100 Series LandCruiser.
From a driving perspective the FJ Cruiser is quite at home in the suburbs and sneaks easily into shopping centre parking spaces and takes off at the lights with the rest of the traffic. Rear vision is not perfect with the wide side panels, but the rear-view camera is excellent for reversing whether out of a car park or off-road down a hill when things get rough. Despite the lack of a door pillar between the doors the FJ Cruiser feels remarkably solid and is surprisingly quiet at highway speed. Our litmus test for all cars is simple: could we live with it? In the case of the FJ Cruiser that answer is easy. YES. We will however wait with some anticipation (we are dreaming) for a diesel variant with a six speed manual shifter.
MODEL RANGE AND PRICING*
FJ Cruiser 5 speed auto 4.0 litre $44,990*
(*Not including government or dealer delivery charges)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: standard
Air Conditioning: standard
Automatic Transmission: standard
CD Player: standard
Central Locking: standard
Cruise Control: standard
Dual Front Airbags: standard
Front Side Airbags: standard
Stability Control: standard
Traction Control: standard
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE:
Capacity: 4.0 litres
Configuration: V-6
Head Design: DOHC
Compression Ratio: 10.4:1
Bore/Stroke: 94.0 mm x 96.0 mm
Maximum Power: 200 kW @ 5600 rpm
Maximum Torque: 380 Nm @ 4400 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Part time 2WD/4WD. Two speed transfer.
Manual Transmission: N/A
Automatic Transmission: Five speed
Final Drive Ratio: 3.727:1
Electrically actuated rear diff lock
CLEARANCES
Ground: 224 mm
Approach angle: 36 degrees
Departure angle: 31 degrees
Ramp over angle: 29 degrees
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4670 mm
Wheelbase: 2690 mm
Width: 1905 mm
Height: 1830 mm
Turning Circle: 12.7 metres
Kerb Mass: 2510 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 72 litres
Towing Ability: 2250 kg (kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Double wishbone with coil springs
Rear Suspension: Five-link with coil springs
Front Brakes: Ventilated discs
Rear Brakes: Ventilated discs
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: N/A seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: 95RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 11.4 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 4.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 5.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
3 years or 100,000 km
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