2027 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ.
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It looks like the all-new Toyota Land Cruiser FJ has been pushed back by about a year. It is now rumored to be scheduled for a 2026 debut. That would mean a 2027 model year if sold in the US. The delay is apparently due to current “market uncertainties”.
There have been rumors for a while now of a small off-road SUV from Toyota, at least since the new Land Cruiser unveiling, where Toyota showed a silhouette of the new smaller model. (top image)
Something like this could end up being quite popular and give some competition to the Ford Bronco Sport. A new small Toyota SUV would probably come with a standard Hybrid powertrain. Toyota has plenty to choose from.
It would also be smaller than the RAV4 but not necessarily cheaper since Toyota seems to be charging quite a bit these days for their off-road vehicles. Even the super basic “cheapo” Tacoma pickup starts at over $31,000. Which is more than the base version of the RAV4.
The new compact off-road model is also rumored to be based on the recent Toyota Hilux Champ truck. (2nd and 3rd image). The Hilux Champ is an entry-level pickup using a ladder frame. If it looks cheap, that’s because it is. It starts at around $13,000 in Thailand.
The Hilux Champ is not really a regular consumer truck na dis mostly used as a cheap work truck. Designing a much more consumer friendly SUV shape using this inexpensive platform could allow Toyota to achieve a good profit margin on their new compact off-road SUV. especially in North America, where these off-road Toyotas are becoming very pricey. The new model is expected to start at around $35,000 in the US.
The new FJ Cruiser seems to be one of the first victims of the current trade war the US started with the rest of the automotive world.
Maybe they delayed it to build it in the US?
They certainly got spooked by the tariffs. They realized they’ll need to cut more costs.
They certainly got spooked by the tariffs. They are probably looking for ways to cut costs.