Toyota FJ Cruiser 2011 News

Toyota is recalling about 310,000 of its FJ Cruiser SUVs from the 2007 through 2013 model years because of a problem involving seat belt retractors. The recall could affect close to 5300 Toyota FJ Cruisers sold in Australia since it launched here in 2011.Toyota's US website says the seat belts for the driver and front passenger are mounted on the rear doors of the FJ Cruiser. Because of the insufficient strength of the rear door panel, cracks could develop over “an extended period of time,” especially if the rear doors are “repeatedly and forcefully” closed.In the event that cracks appear around the FJ Cruiser's lower seat belt retractor anchor, the retractor could loosen and detach. Toyota said it has not received any reports of accidents or injuries due to the problem.Owners will be notified by mail “soon” and instructed to bring their vehicles to Toyota dealers for a free repair.In the meantime, owners can find more information online at www.toyota.com/recall.www.thecarconnection.com 

The long awaited FJ Cruiser - an expected sub $50,000 addition to Toyota's range - this weekend went through its paces in the hands of rally champion Neal Bates at the Toyota Land Cruiser Club of Australia's impressive Willowglen facility north of Canberra. The only FJ Cruiser in the country was shown no mercy - from water crossings to gnarly downhills, narrow hillside goat trails to rocky ascents - and proved it is likely to be more competent in the dirt than owners expect. "It's very capable - more so in most cases than the Prado," says Bates as he plunges the blue FJ Cruiser into the water.  "That's because of the very short front and rear overhangs - you can get it into places the Prado may not be able to. "The only thing it doesn't have is the Prado's downhill assist and a front diff lock. Many 4WD enthusiasts probably don't need downhill assist anyway." The FJ Cruiser is based on the Prado chassis and drivetrain and comes into Australia in March with pricing expected in the $45,000-$50,000 bracket.  Only one model will be offered - a 4-litre petrol V6 with five-speed automatic. Toyota Australia's product manager Greg Gardner says the Japanese-built SUV is aimed primarily at the US market.  "Japan and the US aren't markets for diesel, so only the petrol i available," he says. The FJ Cruiser carries over a low-range gearbox with manual engagement.  The cabin seats four adults with the rear two accessing the cabin by small rear-hinged doors, similar to the Mazda RX-8. Though the doors are small, access is good because there is no B-pillar to impede access and entry. The roofline looks low but headroom is sufficient thanks to low seat mounts. Because of its shorter length compared with Prado, boot space is less cavernous and is helped by the spare tyre mount on the rear swing-out door. Dash design is a clash of military and funky, with bold switchgear, alloy-look panels interrupted by flat surfaces that match the body colour, and highlights such as the knurled gearshift knob. Toyota Australia executive director Dave Buttner is aiming at 80 sales a month - "We'd be happy with that" - and doesn't see any cannibalisation of Prado sales. He sees the FJ Cruiser competing with the more trendy end of the 4WD-capable SUV sector, up against the Jeep Wrangler and perhaps Land Rover Defender 90. "We see it as a niche vehicle - much like Rukus - and aimed at the younger buyer," he says.  "It's not a volume seller but it certainly adds some excitement to our showrooms."

Anyone who remembers the 1970s – and even those who don’t – will be overjoyed to see the ultimately rugged and retro-styled FJ Cruiser 4WD on the Toyota stand at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. The youth market-oriented modern-day FJ will be in showrooms early next year – built upon the well-sorted Prado platform, and available in a range of in-your-face colours (as well as some conservative ones).  The FJ Cruiser is sure to add some off-road excitement to the brand that’s renowned for its 4WD vehicles’ dominance of the Australian regional market. Common to the Prado and FJ will be the independent front suspension and live rear axle setup – but the bodywork is entirely bespoke.   It’s designed to inspire fond memories of the venerable FJ40 LandCruisers of four decades ago, which were so instrumental in getting up and running one of Australia’s greatest engineering achievements – the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Cue the huge ‘TOYOTA’ badge dead-centre in the grille (a unique offering in the Toyota lineup – every other product features the curvy Toyota emblem in place of the letters), plus round headlamps and outboard orange indicators. A white roof is also standard. Also harking back to the FJ that first saw duty in the 1960s is the vehicle’s overall boxy shape, the near vertical windscreen with three wipers and wraparound rear glass. There are some features that aren’t retro: rear ‘suicide doors’ that allow easy access to the rear seat area, and a swing-up hinged rear window – great for that trip to Bunnings to buy oversize materials. There’s even special water-repellent fabric on the seats. Engine details for Australia weren’t known at the time of writing, but the smart money is tipping the same 4.0-litre 178kW 1GR-FE engine that powers the FJ in the USA (as well as the Prado Down Under) – and a diesel might be a distinct possibility, too, given the Prado-based underpinnings. Great news for Australia if diesel is on the menu. Part-time or full-time four-wheel drive? We don’t know that yet – maybe both will be on offer – but componentry to support either driveline is available in the Toyota parts inventory.  What we do know is that Toyota is committed to delivering “a powerful engine, dual-range 4WD, excellent ground clearance, and ample suspension articulation” that will “deliver the off-road prowess implied by its ‘Cruiser’ badge”. The vehicle is currently on sale in left-hand-drive markets like the USA, where you’re just as likely to see one on LA’s Sunset Boulevarde or Rodeo Drive … or tackling a rugged pass through Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. The new FJ is the kind of 4WD that could easily put the market’s other retro-styled players – Jeep’s Wrangler and Land Rover’s Defender – under considerable pressure. Expect a price tag in the $40,000 ballpark.

On sale in March the 4.0 V6 bush basher is the polar opposite of the eco friendly hybrids that are on the periphery of Toyota's near football-field long stand.Market leader for the 66th consecutive month, Toyota doesn't have to try terribly hard, but nevertheless announced price reductions for its leading lines.Toyota senior director sales David Buttner says the Corolla now had seven airbags to match Volkswagen's class-leading Golf and extra value to the tune of $2400 for no price increase.He said Yaris pricing was coming down to the same level as 2005 and the HiLux's tag to 2007 levels. The top selling utility vehicle gets safety kit including stability control.Those longing for a re-run of fun to drive Toyota's will have to content themselves with driving the FT-86G on the new Gran Turismo 5 which runs a facsimile of the legendary Nurburgring.

An update of the Toyota FJ Cruiser in the US delayed the offroader’s launch here until 2011, but there’ll be a chance to see it earlier at the Australian International Motor Show.The one on Toyota’s stand at the October show in Sydney will be a pre-production version, and will show the changes on the way – which are primarily a facelift for the cabin.The exterior is expected to stay pretty much as-is, with a short wheelbase and retro styling to the face intended to echo design cues from the FJ40 LandCruiser of 50 years ago.But while the new FJ still has ‘Cruiser’ as part of its name, it’s not intended as a serious paddock basher but as a lure to the fashion-fickle Gen-Y market. It’s intended to lend a hand to the recently-launched Rukus, which arrived with the youth market as its main target. And it shares the same boxy stance and retro hints such as the upright windscreen, triple wipers and white roof.However the FJ Cruiser is based on the previous-generation Prado – making it already mechanical step behind the current Prado that arrived here last year. Local sales are expected to kick-off late in the first quarter of 2011.The Australian International Motor Show will be held in Sydney from October 15.

But it's not what you think, and definitely not the much-loved FJ Holden from the 1950s.  The new FJ is actually a Toyota, not a Holden, and so different from the all-Aussie 'humpy' that it should be given a different name for Australia. The new-age FJ is a Cruiser that is coming in October as part of a youth push at Toyota Australia that also includes the funky, boxy, Scion xB.  Both are already sold in the USA but the Australian models are being tweaked with right-side steering and other changes for their time Down Under. The Scion will also have a Toyota badge in Australia. The FJ is part of the LandCruiser family and is built up from the mechanical package of the previous-generation Prado. It is likely to be sold with both two and four-wheel drive, as well as a V6 engine, although Toyota Australia is making no comment despite a preview last week at a major dealer convention in Melbourne.  We do not comment on future model plans," says Toyota spokesman, Mike Breen. Pricing for the FJ Cruiser is likely to start around $40,000 and it will definitely have the same bright body colours and Hummer-style looks as the American model.  Toyota based the FJ Cruiser's design on the famous FJ40 LandCruiser, a working-class four-wheel drive made famous in Australia for its work on the Snowy Mountains scheme in the 1950s. Design cues taken from the FJ40 include the grille, upright windscreen and chunky bumpers, square wheelarches and the rear-mounted and exposed full-size spare tyre. Toyota has upgraded the design with rear 'suicide' rear doors to allow easy access to the rear seat and there is swing-up glass hatch incorporated into the side-hinged rear door. The glass hatch opens independently of the rear door and can accommodate longer items. The Cruiser is designed for serious off-roading and the seats are even covered with a special water-repellent fabric while the floor and rear luggage area is covered in an easy-to-clean rubber-type material.  The ladder-frame body uses a double-wishbone independent front suspension and four-link coil-spring rear suspension. Opinion - Paul Gover The FJ Cruiser looks a lot more fun than it is to drive.  It turns heads, particularly in lollypop colours, but I gave one back to Toyota after less than two hours of a planned two-day drive in California. For a start, the FJ is a reverse-Tardis - just like the Hummer H3 - with far less space inside than its big body promises.  Visibility is poor, the cabin is overly-plastic, the performance is adequate at best, and people turn to look - but often look as if they are about to laugh. The FJ shows the sort of direction Toyota needs to take to put some excitement and fun into its boring local showrooms, but it will need a lot of local tweaking to satisfy the needs and dreams of savvy local buyers.

Hired straight from graduating by Toyota's Calty Design Research studios near Los Angeles, Ian Cartabiano's path was laid out early. His mother was a sculptor, his father an industrial designer and the family were car nuts.He toyed with the idea of becoming a film director, but the cars won out when Toyota signed him on in 1997. So now Cartabiano drives a Toyota-engined Lotus Elise and a bunch of Toyota cars he helps design.Calty senior executive Erwin Lui says the design studio is a “conduit for American tastes and the American market”.Toyota's sales volume, and direct involvement, in the US auto industry has grown considerably since the mid-1990s. Toyota in Japan recognises the worldwide influence of the Californian culture.This is a young, diverse and faddish place with a huge appetite for the latest in style and technology. Equally, California has long been a car place, a hot-rodders' and imports paradise.Among Calty's recent design includes; the wild Toyota FJ Cruiser from 2006 creating a modern spin on the original Landcruiser, then there's the latest Tundra which is a full-sized American pickup and finally the 2007 Kluger known as Highlander in the US.For Cartabiano, the Kluger did not come easy. “It was one of the hardest projects I've been involved with,” he says.“The Highlander (Kluger) is our most mainstream SUV, it's like the Camry of SUVs.”So Cartabiano's early grille for instance the strong horizontal bars, which was abandoned and deemed a little too tough.“This car had to look strong and tough but also intelligent,” he says. “It had to have an intelligent silhouette and be proud of what it is. The previous Kluger had a kind of waddly look and the wheels looked like they had been sucked in.”The new philosophy for Toyota design, still being analysed and understood, is “vibrant clarity”. Automotive design has become more a marketing tool in recent years, manufacturers chasing individual expressions to define the “face” of each car family, he says.Cartabiano gave the Kluger a new wheel focus, a stronger face with more style muscle to the bonnet and more shoulder to the rear. There is the hint of flare over the mudguards and both 17-inch or 19-inch wheels fill out the guards.There is a more athletic look to this next Kluger, without disguising the cabin length and the fact that this is a seven-seater SUV.“There had to be a balance between form and function,” Cartabiano says.He is happy with the production version although, while understanding the need to tone it down, he does miss that original design for the Kluger grille. The end result is a more sophisticated style than the original wagon, inside and out.The new Toyota Kluger is smarter all round, with some similarities to its little brother the RAV4 and Hyundai's Santa Fe.