PODCAST: Why new Land Cruiser FJ is a masterstroke by Toyota
· Citizen
The introduction of the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ is a masterstroke by the Japanese carmaker.
In a time where Chinese manufacturers are luring buyers away from heritage brands, the all-new FJ will help Toyota take the fight back to the Chinese.
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Incorporating the FJ into the Land Cruiser family affords the off-roader the kind of heritage Chinese brands have not yet established. And it’s very aggressive starting price of R714 000 even undercuts the Chinese as it is R16 000 less than the comparative model from its direct rival, the GWM Tank 300.
Land Cruiser FJ makes Pitstop
On this week’s episode of The Citizen Motoring‘s Pitstop podcast, we discuss the arrival of the all-new Land Cruiser FJ. And we also predict how the market will receive it.
The FJ rakes its places the 300, Prado and 70 Series in Toyota’s renowned Land Cruiser family. Owning an LC badge is now almost R300 000 more affordable than before taken into account the previous entry point was the LC78’s almost-R1 million price tag.
The Land Cruiser FJ shares a name and even a few retro styling cues with the discontinued FJ Cruiser, but is not a direct descendant of the erstwhile off-roader. The new FJ is more of a spiritual successor to the original, which in turn paid homage to the FJ40 of old which ushered in the backronym for “Freedom and Joy”.
Geared for the rough stuff
The new FJ is a ladder-frame SUV that rides on an adapted version of the IMV 0 platform that underpins the Hilux and Fortuner. It features all the off-roading hardware like its siblings, while its 2580mm wheelbase makes it even more agile.
The biggest talking point is that the FJ is only offered with a petrol engine, with the possibility of a diesel engine only at a later stage. Its naturally aspirated 2.7-litre petrol mill produces 122kW of power and 245Nm of torque. The drive goes to all four wheels via six-speed automatic transmission.