TOYOTA FJ CRUISER TO BRUISE SUV MARKET

Toyota South Africa is going pimp after launching the FJ Cruiser 3-door SUV to the market. The car is not completely new, having been in the US, China, Australia and the Middle East since at least 2007 and 2008. Nevertheless, a classic pimp with the right profile, does not age. He only gets better with time.

And over 50 years after the Toyota J40 series came into the scene, the FJ’s spiritual successor, the vehicle is the new daddy of street pimp. Raised 24.5cm above ground, FJ is an SUV first and foremost. It boasts an approach angle of 31 degrees and departure angle of 34 degrees, an overall length of 4.7 metres and width 1.9m.

One thing’s for sure, FJ is a work of art, not in the Gerard Sekoto mould, more like in the Picasso fashion. One will appreciate its finer points once one gets to grips with it. As I did at the launch. Kicking off in Alexandra at the famous Bra Joe’s tavern/ restaurant/ lounge, the slightly wobbly procession took to the N1 north, then N14 towards Krugersdorp where some off-road muscle was flexed.

While the engine is smooth enough, having done duty in vehicles like Fortuner and Hilux, it tends to sit on the thirsty side. Unfortunately Toyota has no plans to offer a diesel variant, which is quite a pity for long-distance cruisers. The figures are, nonetheless, quite strong. Displacing 4.0-litre from its V6 frame, the motor makes 200kW at 5600rpm, with peak torque of 380Nm at 4400rpm. Paired with the old horse is a 5-speed automatic gearbox which really feels like it needs an extra cog. Five speeds are so 1992!

Yet the cabin feels modern, with special seat trim that makes it water resistant. Of course the rear doors are a pimping suicide/ French style, similar to the MINI Clubman and Mazda RX8. Rear legroom is a little limited for those over 1.8m tall. The dashboard is quite functional, with good placement of dials and knobs, a typical Toyota trait. Steering wheel features satellite controls for music and the phone, with other gadgets including air conditioning, electric windows, a CD player with USB/ iPod input and a cruise control stalk. You can have yours in one of six exterior colours, depending on the model.

On the off-road course, the FJ shone quite brightly as it tackled fairly challenging obstacles with aplomb. This is possibly where it felt the most at home. The right wheels in 17-inch alloys, combined with the right tyres, 265/70 R17, made for easy work of the little game farm’s traps. Of the planned monthly sales of 120 or so, I’d be surprised to see even 10% doing anything more serious than a pavement climb.

On the safety side, FJ Cruiser provides ABS braking, ISOfix seats for rear child restraints, and vehicle stability control (VSC). Also for off-road excursions, the advanced traction control (ATRC) is installed. An unusual trick is the use of not two, but three short wipers on the windscreen. There’s also 6 airbags in total.

Toyota is pushing hard to sell the FJ to the burgeoning black middle class, an elite that is still supposedly undecided about its favourite brands. Not so. They know very well what they like and what they don’t like. Unfortunately one of Toyota’s other initial mistakes was to assume these folks hang out at shisa nyamas. That will have to be rectified.

With the set price being quite reasonable, it should be fairly easy shifting a good number of units off the showroom floors.

Toyota FJ Cruiser Pricing

Cruiser (R435 500)

Desert Cruiser (R450 400)

Sport Cruiser (R457 300)

Trail Cruiser (R451 700)