The secret behind Toyota's new half-price hero: The one big difference that will make the LandCruiser FJ so much cheaper than the LandCruiser Prado and LC300 - reports

The most affordable member of Toyota's LandCruiser family is now firming for production in November, with credible Japanese site BestCar reporting the LandCruiser FJ will go into production in November, ahead of an on-sale date in either late 2024 or early 2025.

And it should prove an absolute off-road bargain. Reports have suggested the incoming model will be priced lower than the current-generation Fortuner – the SUV version of the HiLux – in international markets.

The Fortuner is priced at just under $54k in our market, so if the reports prove accurate and Toyota Australia applies the same pricing strategy here, then the LandCruiser FJ could start at about $50k, which would make it roughly half the price of the cheapest LandCruiser 300 Series.

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How could it be so much cheaper? While the Prado and LandCruiser use Toyota's new and most advanced TNGA-F off-road platform, the FJ is reported to sit on an older architecture, sharing it's underpinnings with the existing HiLux and Fortuner.

Specifically, the LandCruiser FJ is expected to sit on the IMV 0 platform, which is the latest iteration of Toyota's now-20-year-old IMV architecture, and which also now underpins the cut-price Hilux Champ in Thailand.

And given the FJ will reportedly be smaller than the Fortuner (approximately 4500mm versus 4795mm in length, and 1830mm versus 1855mm in width), it stands to reason the FJ could sit below the Fortuner on the price scale.

That won't mean it's not capable, though – expect a solid ladder-frame chassis with four-wheel drive and a design focus on ground clearance and approach and departure angles.

It's under the bonnet that BestCar reports the FJ will differ from the HiLux and Fortuner, with the outlet suggesting the 2.5-litre petrol-hybrid from the RAV4 will provide the power, producing 163kW. A non-electrified petrol option is reportedly on the cards, too.

What we don't know yet is whether Toyota in Australia will secure production of the HiLux-based cut-price off-roader, but the brand's most senior executives have a clear message if you want to park the FJ on your driveway.

For a time, the new and smaller LandCruiser model seemed a done deal in Australia, with Toyota trademarking the name "LandCruiser FJ" for our market, clearing the path for a new 4WD for launch.

But Toyota's executives have remained coy on the model, and the launch, with one – the brand's VP of Sales and Marketing, Sean Hanley – telling CarsGuide that "I don't go to bed at night wanting a smaller LandCruiser".

But the executive went on to declare power to the people for a potential LandCruiser FJ.

“Look, it may [happen] in the future. Because you know… we're going through a great transition in the automotive industry. You never rule stuff out," Mr Hanley said.

“Is there a product plan for it that I'm aware of in Australia? No.

“I don't go to bed at night wanting a smaller LandCruiser, but what I want and what others want can be quite apart.

"If the market wants it, it doesn't matter what I want.”

In short, if you want it in Australia, it's time to start campaigning.