There was a story revolving that Toyota wanted to have a rebadged version of the Maruti Jimny in its portfolio. But Maruti declined it (politely). Later, Toyota went to its drawing room and carved out something with serious off-road capability and a rugged stance. And as a result, the Land Cruiser FJ was born. The model is now highly considered for the Indian market. Here’s everything to know about this Toyota SUV –Attention Readers! Join us on the WhatsApp Community for daily auto news updates.
But how will it be positioned in India?
Indians have a soft corner for the Fortuner. Now it isn’t for the third-row seats or the features it offers, but for its ruggedness, reliability and its go-anywhere nature. Now, think of FJ like a cut-out of the Fortuner – same ruggedness, same reliability, as well as the off-road capabilities, but cut down the third-row seats. A good number of Fortuner buyers would still like a shorter SUV without third-row seats for off-road use.
Moreover, the Toyota LC (Land Cruiser) badge speaks for itself. LC’s have a cult. So it will eventually be a Toyota’s new gun that will fire up the budget 4x4s in India. But how will it fare against the Fortuner? Surely Toyota won’t think of disrupting its bread-and-butter. So, to make this baby LC a little nerfed, the automaker dropped the diesel powertrain, keeping it limited to the Fortuner.
So, the Land Cruiser carries a 2.7-litre NA petrol engine under the hood. The 164bhp engine paired with a 6-speed AT works well – but it’s a gas guzzler. Moreover, the current market is obsessed with hybrids for their efficiency. So, Toyota could also offer a hybrid powertrain with its new off-roader.
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Interiors
We have talked about its characteristics – rugged, bold and whatnot. The same aesthetics could be seen on the inside, too. Globally, the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ offers features such as a 12.5-inch infotainment screen, Level-2 ADAS, a 360-degree camera, wireless charging, a digital driver’s display, and more. Also, unlike the other modern cars, you won’t need to navigate to the infotainment for basic control, as physical options are present. Overall, the cabin keeps its rugged qualities alive.
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Launch & Price
According to Toyota, the baby LC will enter production by 2028. So, we expect the model to be launched by late 2028 or 2029. This suggests there will be a lot of waiting, but we expect it will be worth it if Toyota prices it competitively. Being the most affordable version of the LC, we expect it to be priced somewhere around Rs 30 lakh – Rs 45 lakh (on-road, Mumbai).
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