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The Mini LandCruiser FJ could be the most hotly anticipated new car of 2025.
As one of CarsGuide’s most read stories last year, it’s clear Australians are intrigued by a cut-price rough and tumble 4WD, but there are a few glaring problems for prospective buyers.
In all likelihood, the Mini LandCruiser FJ will not be available in Australia.
We’ll only know for sure when it debuts in the second quarter of next year, but reports from Japan's BestCar do not look promising for an Aussie arrival.
The Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4-sized Mini LandCruiser Fj — as we’re calling it for now — will be built on the ASEAN-market focused IMV platform seen under the low-cost HiLux Champ and its wagon-bodied Rangga relation.
Like the HiLux ute, the LandCruiser FJ will be built in right-hand-drive Thailand, which bodes well for Australia. However, only a 2.7-litre petrol four-cylinder will be available according to reports.
The 2.7-litre petrol’s fuel economy isn’t great at 10.4L/100km combined, corresponding to 241 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. Introducing a popular model with this engine would hurt Toyota’s chances of being able to meet incoming emissions regulations in Australia. A more expensive hybrid would surely be necessary.
That’s a shame, because with its ladder frame and expected 4WD with locking centre differential, low-range transfer case, six-speed automatic and rear ‘Torsen’ limited-slip differential, the Mini LandCruiser has everything needed in a capable off-roader.
Bigger than a Suzuki Jimny but still much smaller than a LandCruiser Prado, the Mini FJ is said to be 4.5 metres long, 1.83 metres wide, 1.85m high and roll on a 2.75-metre wheelbase with a rear-mount spare tyre shown in BestCar’s renders for that authentic look.
The other issues facing the Mini LandCruiser FJ in Australia and other countries are safety requirements.
The HiLux Champ ute is not equipped with the usual litany of systems. It has two airbags, a pair of three-point seatbelts and anti-lock brakes with brake-force distribution. That means no daytime running lights, reverse cameras or auto emergency braking, and therefore no Australian compliance. The Champ also lacks a multimedia touchscreen.
Toyota could, of course, add these features into the Mini LandCruiser FJ, but that comes at quite a cost, liable to take the expected price of entry from A$40,000 equivalent into the mid-high $50K region, and perhaps even higher.
While there may not be as much demand for this size of car as a Prado in Australia, Suzuki has proven the Jimny recipe can be successful. The brand is on the way to selling 10,000 units of the tiny off-roader this year, beating Toyota’s urban-focused Yaris Cross in the sales charts.
That said, Toyota Australia Vice President Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley previously poured cool water on plans for a shrunken LandCruiser product.
“The short answer is no. No, not right now,” Hanley told CarsGuide, before qualifying that means: “No in the sense that there are no plans [for a small LandCruiser] right now that I'm aware of for Australia.”
“I don't necessarily see a small cruiser right now entering the Australian market. You never say never, but there's nothing on the horizon,” said Hanley.
The ‘LandCruiser FJ’ name was trademarked both overseas and locally by Toyota and is distinctly different in trademark from the retro ‘FJ Cruiser’ sold in Australia from 2011-2016.
Toyota is expected to reveal the LandCruiser FJ in Australian Spring. Expect more details — including its potential for Australia — by then.
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