After years of rumors, patent filings, and concept car teases, Toyota has finally pulled the cover off a new compact SUV wearing the legendary FJ badge. Officially called the Land Cruiser FJ, this boxy little 4×4 was revealed in October 2025 and is set to hit roads in Japan by mid-2026. Fans of the original FJ Cruiser have been waiting over a decade for this moment, and now it’s real. But there’s a catch that North American buyers won’t love.
- The new Land Cruiser FJ rides on Toyota’s IMV ladder-frame platform and measures just 180.1 inches long, making it roughly the size of a Corolla Cross.
- Power comes from a 2.7-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder producing 161 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic and part-time four-wheel drive.
- Toyota has confirmed the Land Cruiser FJ will not be sold in North America, at least for now.
A Cult Classic Gets a Second Life
The original FJ Cruiser arrived for the 2007 model year, but market trends and economic conditions at the time turned the SUV into almost an afterthought before it could make a true impression. Over its run, Toyota moved just over 200,000 units. While those numbers were respectable, they weren’t blockbuster figures compared to other Toyota SUVs like the RAV4 or Highlander.
After it left U.S. showrooms in 2014, something funny happened. From the end of 2020 to early 2022, the FJ Cruiser’s used price shot up by over $12,000 on average, with truly pristine examples nearing the $80,000 mark. That kind of appreciation for a discontinued SUV tells you everything about how beloved this thing became. The rugged styling, the trusty 4.0-liter V6, and real off-road chops turned it into a bona fide collector’s piece. If you’re a current FJ Cruiser owner, staying on top of regular maintenance like a Toyota oil change and scheduled service intervals is one reason these trucks last so long and hold their value so well.
What the New Land Cruiser FJ Looks Like
The Land Cruiser FJ picks up the “dice motif” that defined the original FJ Cruiser. The styling leans heavily on the original, and the square cabin maximizes space within the small footprint. The new FJ keeps the round headlights and adds removable corner bumpers. Inside, you’ll find a horizontal instrument panel along with MOLLE panels for attaching outdoor equipment. It also moves to five-passenger seating with conventional doors, dropping the quirky suicide doors from the previous generation.
At 180.1 inches long, 77.2 inches wide, and 73 inches tall, this new FJ chops nearly a foot off the Land Cruiser 250’s length while keeping the upright stance. Its wheelbase sits at 101.6 inches, which is 10.6 inches shorter than the Land Cruiser 250 series. That’s a genuinely small footprint for a body-on-frame SUV, and it should make the FJ feel nimble on tight trails. Toyota quotes an 18-foot turning radius.
Based on one of the prototypes, Toyota will also offer a snorkel and a factory roof rack for the new FJ. And while there aren’t hard stats available for ground clearance and articulation, Toyota has said the FJ’s wheel articulation will be equivalent to the 70 series. That’s a pretty bold claim, considering the 70 Series is a workhorse legend in markets around the world.
Under the Hood and Underneath
Early details confirm the use of Toyota’s 2TR-FE 2.7L naturally aspirated gasoline engine paired with a six-speed Super ECT automatic transmission. This unit produces 161 hp and 181 lb-ft and positions the new SUV as a low-speed crawler rather than a highway cruiser.
The Land Cruiser FJ is built on Toyota’s IMV platform, which is a more affordable body-on-frame architecture. For its North American vehicles, Toyota uses variants of its TNGA architecture, which is more advanced than the IMV. The Land Cruiser FJ will be built in Thailand for emerging markets, which is why the cheaper IMV platform is used.
That platform choice is one of the biggest reasons the FJ probably won’t be pulling into American driveways anytime soon. Toyota confirmed to Automotive News it has no plans to bring the Land Cruiser FJ to North America. The effort to get the Land Cruiser FJ to the U.S. would be enormous. Toyota would need to introduce an entirely new car platform to America and conduct all the necessary emissions and safety testing. Toyota would also need to fit a new engine to that platform.
Will American Buyers Ever Get One?
Right now, the answer is no. The Land Cruiser FJ would undercut a lucrative lineup Toyota already has going with the Tacoma, 4Runner, and Land Cruiser. Introducing that car may bring in some new buyers, but it would also mean siphoning buyers from more profitable vehicles and from the RAV4, which already owns that price point.
In Japan, the 2026 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ will start at around 3.8 million yen ($26,343), with the range-topping model topping out at around 4.5 million yen ($31,196). The 2025 RAV4 starts at $30,645, so the Land Cruiser FJ pricing sits in that same neighborhood. You can see why Toyota might be nervous about cannibalizing its own lineup.
Still, the off-road SUV market in the U.S. is hotter than it’s been in years. The Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, and even the recently returned Nissan Xterra all prove that Americans want boxy, trail-ready trucks. If demand stays strong and the right powertrain materializes, Toyota could eventually find a way to bring the FJ stateside. But don’t hold your breath just yet.
For now, the Land Cruiser FJ is a reminder that Toyota knows exactly how to build a rugged, simple off-road machine. Whether or not it reaches our shores, the FJ name is alive again, and that alone is worth celebrating.
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