Smaller, simpler, still a Land Cruiser: the new FJ has landed in Japan

The smallest Land Cruiser yet arrives in Japan with a 2.7L petrol engine, 6-speed automatic, part-time 4WD and a 5.5-meter turning radius.

Toyota has launched the new Land Cruiser FJ in Japan — a more compact branch of the family that already includes the 300, 70 and 250 series. The idea is simple: keep the real off-road character but lose the feeling that the car is too big for city streets, parking lots and narrow roads.

The FJ is built on a ladder-frame platform with a shortened wheelbase. It measures 4575 mm long, 1855 mm wide, with a 2580 mm wheelbase. Compared with the Land Cruiser 250, it is 350 mm shorter, 125 mm narrower, and the wheelbase is 270 mm shorter. The turning radius is 5.5 meters — and for a body-on-frame SUV, that is no minor detail but a daily convenience.

Under the hood sits a naturally aspirated 2.7-liter 2TR-FE petrol engine: 163 hp and 246 N·m. The gearbox is a 6-speed 6 Super ECT automatic, and drive goes to a part-time 4WD system. Fuel economy on the WLTC cycle is rated at 8.7 km/L, or roughly 11.5 L per 100 km. The FJ does not pretend to be a thrifty hybrid: the bet is on a simple, transparent powertrain.

The off-road hardware looks serious. Ground clearance and approach/departure angles match the Land Cruiser 250, and wheel articulation is on par with the 70 series. There is Downhill Assist Control, Hill Start Assist Control and an electric locking rear differential. Up front: double wishbones; at the rear: a rigid axle on four links with a Panhard rod.

The cabin seats five. The second row splits 60:40, slides and reclines. Cargo space is 795 liters even with the seats up, and 1607 liters with them folded. Standard kit includes Toyota Safety Sense, a panoramic-view camera, blind-spot monitoring and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen.

In Japan, the Land Cruiser FJ is available in VX trim at 4,500,100 yen — about $28,500 at the current rate. Toyota expects to sell around 1,300 cars a month, with production handled at the Toyota Motor Thailand plant in Ban Pho.

One more detail: a foldable electric Land Hopper, which Toyota is preparing for spring 2027. It will fit in the FJ’s cargo area and go where even a Land Cruiser starts to feel too big. That sums up the new model’s character: less swagger, more trails.