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07/03/2011, 15:52
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VW did it with the Beetle, BMW with the Mini, Fiat with the Bambino and now it’s Japan’s turn to pay homage to one of its legends - the FJ 40 LandCruiser. Toyota has launched the FJ Cruiser in Australia, fittingly in the rugged terrain of the Flinders Ranges, north of Adelaide.
FJ 40 remains a cult vehicle worldwide including Australia and the FJ Cruiser, available in the US since 2007, is now available in right hand drive. It is a serious off-roader designed to attract younger buyers - like the funky Toyota Rukus released last year - to the Toyota camp.
If our time at the wheel during the launch is any gauge the FJ Cruiser is set for a bright future but sales will be limited here by the lack of a diesel engine - favoured powerplant of two likely markets - farmers, and those into serious off-roading. Having said that it is one hell of a 4WD. FJ Cruiser is powered by the familiar 4.0 litre V6 petrol engine found in Prado and HiLux. It is linked to a five speed auto transmission and a dual range transfer case. The running gear is borrowed from Prado, while the stiff chassis is a a shortened version of the Prado platform. Toyota claim consumption of 11.4 litres/100 km.
Toyota sharpened its pencils when it came to pricing with the FJ Cruiser available in a single specification at $44,990 before on road costs and government charges. This is around $11,000 under a three door Prado and $16,000 under the five door. Toyota spokesman, Dave Buttner admitted the lack of a diesel FJ Cruiser would cost some sales in Australia. The FJ Cruiser was developed for the US market - where almost 15,000 were sold in 2009 - where buyers are reluctant by purchase diesel passenger vehicles. A further 8000 were sold in the Middle East where fuel prices are not relevant, leaving Australia the only market where diesel is popular.
Mr Buttner said Toyota recognised the FJ Cruiser would ‘not be for everyone’ with its retro appearance and use of suicide doors, which also house the seat belts for the front passengers.
The front door must be open and the seat belts not in use for passengers to access the three rear seats.
The FJ Cruiser is clearly aimed at a younger market than the Prado, with which it shares a lot of hardware. Prado is seen as an ‘older’ market and is a particular favourite of the grey nomads and is commonly used for towing caravans around Australia. FJ will also appeal to genuine serious off-roaders with its significant credentials for tackling the hard stuff...but, without a diesel, the engine choice of many serious off-roaders, sales to that market may be limited.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
We were able to drive the FJ on the open highway, fast gravel roads and serious off-road tracks in the Flinders Ranges. Cruising at more than 100 km/h the vehicle is stable and has excellent road feel. There is nothing vague about the way sits on the road, despite it’s US heritage. The suspension is tuned for Australian conditions. On fast gravel roads the car points well and with an excellent chassis corners particularly well with not too much body roll. Off-road the FJ Cruiser comes into its own with terrific clearances all-round and 310 Nm of torque on tap from just 1250 rpm. Despite going over some fairly demanding terrain we had no call to call for the assistance of active traction control or the rear diff locker. Only a diesel could make improve it off-road. Wading depth is 700 mm and the differentials have extended breathers high in the body.
ENGINE
At the heart of the FJ is a 4.0 litre 200 kW V6 engine that develops 380 Nm of torque hooked up to a dual-range transfer case and boasting long wheel travel for negotiating nasty washouts and extremely uneven ground.
OFF-ROAD
FJ Cruiser’s off-road ability is underlined by the clearance necessities: 224 mm of ground clearance under the vital components, the differential housings. Other stats will bring joy to the hearts of rock-hoppers who recall - or owned - the legendary short wheelbase LandCruisers of the 1960s, with the FJ Cruiser have a departure angle of 31 degrees, ramp-over of 29 degrees and the all-important approach angle of 36 degrees. This latter figure is only bettered by the 70 Series Cruiser, while the departure and ramp-over angles are the best in the Toyota 4WD stable. Certainly the ingredients are there for a classic off-roader: body on chassis format with a short wheelbase.
The FJ’s off-road ability has been helped by 17 inch wheels and front and rear short overhangs - 865mm at the front and 1115mm at the rear. This allows the vehicle to enter short, sharp climbs like creek and river crossings without scraping terra firma. The ramp-over clearance helps the vehicle climb out of steep crossings onto flat ground - or vice versa - without damaging the centre underside of the car or even becoming an unwitting see-saw.
SAFETY
The FJ Cruiser may have taken the FJ name but from a safety perspective the two vehicles could not be further apart. The early FJs were basic and spartan when it came to safety. After all they came to Australia for the Snowy Mountains Scheme, well before seat belts were fitted to cars - and a decade or two before this basic of safety became compulsory in the early 1970s. The FJ Cruiser gets the crash-saving Vehicle Stability Control, active traction control, ABS brakes, brake assist and Electronic Brake Force Distribution. Standard fare also includes six airbags, reversing camera, rear parking sensors and active head rests for the front seats. The man who brought the original LandCruisers into Australia, Sir Leslie Thiess would be shaking his head in disbelief at how far the vehicle had come. In particular the reversing camera could come in handy in tricky off-road situations where a driver is forced to reverse along steep, narrow tracks.
INTERIOR
There has been no effort to soften the tough exterior appearance on the interior. Like the exterior it looks like it means business, without being too gimmicky. Modern features - many would say necessities include air conditioning, 8 speaker, 6 CD sound system complete with Bluetooth capability, steering wheel controls, reversing camera, keyless entry are all part of the package. Unlike the FJ 40 the FJ Cruiser has four doors, not that you would know it from the vehicle’s external appearance. The doors are hidden away under the vehicle’s retro lines and the door handle is on the inside.
DESIGN
The FJ Cruiser was designed by a young Korean-American Jin Kim in his first major assignment for Toyota. Kim won a competition between three designers in 2003 to design the vehicle with this production model close to his winning drawing. During the design process Kim had an FJ 40 brought into the studio to refer to and also used his American pitbull cross - called ‘Tiger’ to give the vehicle it’s aggressive stance and no-nonsense front.
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