Mini sub-$50K Toyota LandCruiser coming this year? New LandCruiser FJ to roll off production line in November to under cut next-gen Toyota Prado, Nissan Patrol and Mitsubishi Pajero | Report

Toyota’s mini LandCruiser FJ is just months away from rolling off the production line.

Reports from Japanese publication Best Car, which is known for its well placed Toyota sources, has claimed the little rugged off-roader will start coming off the production line in November this year.

We might not see the vehicle until early 2025, though, as there might be a delay in certification due to Toyota’s recent issues.

The mini LandCruiser is a red-hot chance to make it Down Under, as the LandCruiser 300, Prado and 70 Series are all top sellers.

Toyota Australia has even trademarked the ‘LandCruiser FJ' name locally.

The company hasn’t confirmed if it is coming here yet, but the local outfit’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley, has previously told CarsGuide Toyota is always busy looking for alternative vehicles.

"We've had no dialogue about those vehicles in Australia at this point," said Hanley.

“But from a conceptual perspective, we're very excited and it just again shows that the company hasn't been sitting still. It's actually busy looking at alternatives and we'd welcome any opportunity to bring those types of vehicles to this market.

“So all of these things now will become more real and more visible in the future, I think.”

Toyota LandCruiser FJ render. (Source: BestCar)

The LandCruiser FJ will use the brand’s IMV platform that forms the base for the current HiLux and Fortuner and the low cost HiLux Champ available in South East Asia.

That means the LandCruiser FJ goes in a different direction from the new LandCruiser Prado, which has ditched its HiLux underpinnings in favour of the more advanced TNGA-F platform used by the new LandCruiser 300 Series.

This is believed to help keep the cost of the new LandCruiser FJ down.

Best Car said the price is expected to be somewhere between 3.5m and 4.5m Yen ($35,000 and $45,000), which would make it half the price of the new LandCruiser Prado and comparable to Suzuki's diminutive Jimny.

The LandCruiser FJ will use a solid ladder frame chassis that'll give it rugged off-road ability with four-wheel drive and likely high and low gearing, too.

It’ll also be smaller than the Toyota RAV4 and closer in dimensions to the Corolla Cross compact SUV at 4500mm long and 1830mm wide. It’ll be taller at 1850mm, which is likely due to its higher ground clearance.

Toyota LandCruiser FJ render. (Source: BestCar)

It is also expected to have a roomier cabin thanks to its 2750mm wheelbase - the distance between the front and rear wheels - compared to the Corolla Cross’ 2640mm wheelbase.

Best Car said the LandCruiser FJ won’t use a diesel engine but instead will use hybrid power. The Japanese outlet claims it’ll use the same 2.5-litre set-up as the current RAV4 that makes 163kW.

Toyota has just detailed its new range of inline four-cylinder engines that’ll be paired with its future hybrids. 

This means a 1.5-litre or 2.0-litre turbocharged motor could find its way under the bonnet of the mini LandCruiser.

The 2.0-litre turbo hybrid is reported to pump out an outstanding 300kW.

Toyota is also working on a range of plug-in hybrids. This plug-in hybrid set-up is claimed to boost the next-gen Corolla’s range to 2100km on a single tank of petrol.