Toyota mentioned the TJ Cruiser name earlier this year, and many people believed that the Japanese manufacturer was going to assemble the FJ Cruiser successor. However, the speculations were wrong since the TJ Cruiser is going to be a brand-new model and it is the pioneer in the new segment we are going to call Sub Utility Van. This doesn’t sound too odd since there are Sports Activity Coupes, to be honest, but it is something we haven’t seen before.
The Toyota TJ Cruiser is basically a combination of the rugged SUV look with the practicality of a cargo van. The name can be analyzed as the letter ‘T’ stands for Toolbox, which represents the utility, whereas ‘J’ is the joy you should feel while driving this car. Meanwhile, the word ‘Cruiser’ expresses the powerful design of the new concept model, which looks impressive indeed.
Since this is just a concept, for now, we don’t want to get our hopes too high as the production version, provided it comes, might be nothing like it. The great thing about this concept is that the Japanese carmaker used materials with high scratch and dirt resistance for the fenders, roof, and hood.
The Toyota TJ Cruiser is a four-seater 4,300 mm long, 1,775 mm wide and 1,620 mm tall, whereas its wheelbase is 2,750 mm long, which is really remarkable. The production model is going to be based on the new-generation TNGA platform, while the company plans to use a 2.0-liter hybrid powertrain with an “EV Mode.” Both FWD and 4WD configurations are on the table.
The cabin is spacious and, to access it, you need to slide the rear doors wide open. The TJ Cruiser is excellent if you are going on a long trip with your family because you can stuff a lot of things inside its trunk and the rest of the cabin as well. Fold the passenger seats, and you get space of up to three meters! The back of the seats come with the abundance of anchoring points in case you need to secure your stuff, while you can always flip the seat behind the driver forward to create extra space for your groceries.
Toyota is going to present its TJ Cruiser concept at the Tokyo Motor Show that starts in late October. Do you like this weird-looking concept?
