After years of delays and speculation, Toyota’s bringing back one of the most storied nameplates in off-road history.
The new Land Cruiser FJ is set for a private media reveal on October 20, followed by an official global debut at 5:00 AM Tokyo time on October 21.
The company has been quiet since teasing this thing two years ago, but the wait is finally ending at the Tokyo Motor Show.
The FJ won’t be a carbon copy of the original. This is a genuine compact SUV sized somewhere between a Suzuki Jimny XL and a Toyota Fortuner, sitting roughly in the Corolla Cross neighborhood.
It stretches 171.3 inches long with five conventional doors, a side-hinged tailgate, and an externally mounted spare wheel.
That’s proper LandCruiser DNA, not the FJ Cruiser’s wild B-pillarless design from the past.
Patent images already showed us the shape, and it looks honest and functional rather than flashy.
The chassis rides on a ladder frame borrowed from the HiLux Champ, a low-cost ute popular in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
The FJ will likely be built in Thailand too, keeping costs manageable while maintaining genuine four-wheel drive credentials.
Engine options include a 2.7-liter naturally aspirated petrol four-cylinder making 163 horsepower and a 2.8-liter turbocharged diesel.
Both are proven hardware from the HiLux and Fortuner, so reliability shouldn’t be questioned.
The real story here is Toyota’s expansion strategy. The LandCruiser family now spans four distinct vehicles: the compact FJ, the heavy-duty 70 Series, the 250 for most markets, and the larger 300.
It’s the widest net the nameplate has ever cast. Initial rollout targets Southeast Asia first, but the comprehensive safety equipment planned means global sales are definitely on the table. Japan’s already interested, and if it meets Japanese regulations, an Australian introduction isn’t out of the question.
Showroom arrival is slated for 2026. That’s real close now.
