Toyota eyes up Land Rover Defender with Land Cruiser FJ

Toyota has the Land Rover Defender in its sights with the reveal of the new Land Cruiser FJ.

The FJ will be the smallest Land Cruiser and will sit below the larger ‘250 Series’ model; the only version available here in the UK.

Under the bonnet, the Land Cruiser FJ is equipped with a 2.7-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that develops 161bhp and 246Nm of torque; however, further performance figures have not been revealed at this stage.

The exterior of the car has a distinctive look, with square-shaped flared wheel arches, a flat back and a full-size spare wheel located on the tailgate. There are round front headlights, which hark back to Land Cruiser models of yesteryear, while the car is 270mm shorter than the standard car and there is additional underfloor bracing and higher body rigidity, to help improve the car’s stability and handling.

Also, the front and rear corners of the bumpers are removable, which speeds up repair times and reduces costs, if the bumpers were to be damaged.

Inside, the interior design is similar to the larger Land Cruiser with chunky dials, a horizontal instrument cluster, a manual handbrake and durable hard-wearing materials.

It’s unclear whether Toyota will bring the Land Cruiser FJ to the UK at this stage. But, if it does, it will likely come with a hybrid powertrain.

The Land Cruiser FJ will make its debut at this year’s Japan Mobility Show, which takes place from October 30 to November 9. The car will go on sale in Japan in the summer of next year.