Eight things to know about the new Toyota Land Cruiser FJ

The Land Cruiser FJ measures 4,575mm in length, 1,855mm in width and has a wheelbase of 2,580mm. (Toyota) 1: It’s apparently not meant to replace the FJ Cruiser Though it shares the FJ nameplate (itself a nod to the iconic FJ40 produced from the 1960s to the 1980s), Toyota is adamant the new Land Cruiser FJ has nothing to do with the chunky, rear suicide-doored FJ Cruiser offered by the marque between 2006 and 2022. Instead, they see it as a smaller and more attainable version of the current Land Cruiser Prado (J250), which kind of makes sense when you take into account the front-end styling that riffs heavily off the latter. There are, however, subtle references to the revered FJ Cruiser (a model that’s garnered an almost cult-like following amongToyota fans since its demise), particularly at the rear where you’ll find protruding taillight clusters and a full-size spare wheel bolted to the sideways-opening tailgate, a feature that might irk some as this design offers zero weather protection when loading/unloading cargo and can restrict access in tight parking spaces. Whether you view it as a scaled-down Prado or, perhaps more cynically, a wannabe FJ Cruiser lacking the bulge of V6 engine power, there’s no denying the new Land Cruiser FJ is one of the more interesting vehicles roaming our streets in 2026. While its squared-off dimensions might not be to everyone’s taste, it will certainly catch the eye of those who have already had their interest piqued by other members of the box brigade such as the Suzuki Jimny, Jetour T2, GWM Tank 300 and BAIC B40. All I know is it turned many heads, motorists and pedestrians alike, while steering it through the Mother City. VX models ride on black 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 265/60 profile tyres. (Toyota) 2: Two model grades To keep things simple, Toyota is offering the Land Cruiser FJ in two trims: entry-level GX or flagship VX. Unfortunately there were no GX variants to experience at the launch, but we were told they come fitted with 17-inch dark grey metallic wheels shod with 265/65 H/T tyres and feature LED headlamps, with manual levelling adjustment, and LED front fog lights. Inside, the GX makes do with black fabric seats while the handbrake, gear shifter and steering wheel are all hewn from basic black urethane. Technology highlights include a seven-inch digital instrument cluster with three different meter designs and an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, six loudspeakers, two USB-C ports, two 12-volt power sockets (one up front and another in the second row), electric windows and dual-zone automatic climate control. The latter is controlled by a row of physical buttons, which makes it easy to manually override should you need to. Standard safety features include seven airbags (curtain, driver, passenger, driver knee and front side), vehicle stability control and ABS brakes with EBD and brake assist. GX and VX models feature Toyota heritage grille badging and LED headlamps. (Toyota) Make the jump to VX grade and you’ll score larger 18-inch black alloy wheels (not great from a wear-and-tear point of view, if we’re honest) with 265/60 H/T tyres. In the case of our test units, these were Bridgestone Dueler 684 IIs. The lower front guard gets a swanky silver finish while the LED headlamps are upgraded with automatic levelling and adaptive high beams. The cabin is upgraded with artificial leather seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake. The VX also ushers in a longer list of active driver aids: traction control, a pre-collision system, adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert, blind spot monitoring and a camera system offering front, side and rear views of the vehicle. Prado-inspired cabin is comfortable and offers and excellent seating position for drivers of most heights and sizes. (Toyota) 3: It’s surprisingly comfortable and refined inside Buckling into the Land Cruiser FJ, the first thing I noticed was how good the seating position is. This is down to the steering column offering generous amounts of rake and reach adjustment — you can pull it out impressively far — and a supportive, well-sculpted seat that offers a decent range of height adjustment. The footwell aperture is wide with a large dead pedal for your left foot, while the padded centre console armrest and door panels do a fine job of keeping your elbows comfortable. Toyota has also built padded knee pads into the doors and outer extremities of the centre console to lessen joint impact when shaking your way across bumpy terrain, a nice touch. Though road noise is well contained for a vehicle of this nature, I was surprised when cruising the highway at the legal limit at how little wind noise there was around the windscreen and A-pillars, especially considering how squared-off things are in this region. From around 135km/h, however, things do get a little more “whooshy”. We would have preferred the second 12v power socket to be located in the boot rather than in the second-row seating area. (Toyota) Ride comfort? Based on a shorter version of the Toyota IMV platform used in the Fortuner and Hilux, the Land Cruiser FJ was never going to be a champion of ironing out South African road imperfections. Having said that, around Cape Town city streets and down relatively smooth national routes, it rides with composure and feels arguably more responsive and direct than either of its two ladder-chassis siblings. Choppier rural asphalt, however, quickly makes this machine’s workhorse underpinnings and solid rear axle known, with plenty of bumps, jiggles and jolts filtering their way through the suspension and chassis into the cabin. None of this is unexpected and you soon get accustomed to it. Standard eight-inch infotainment screen is disappointingly low resolution. A 12.3-inch screen is a R12k option. (Toyota) 4: Disappointing infotainment experience As I mentioned earlier, both Land Cruiser FJ variants come fitted with an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system as standard. It is, especially when compared to what you get in rival products, a pretty insipid performer with a low-resolution display, clunky menu system and camera feeds that stream, at best, in 480p. It also lacks wireless smartphone integration, meaning you have to keep your phone plugged into the front USB-C port to access Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. You can, however, tick the box on a more sophisticated 12.3-inch screen that will be fitted by the dealer at a cost of R12,000. Toyota said its first batch of local models was only available with the eight-inch system, and down the line it’s looking to include the 12.3-inch version as standard in future vehicles. Bulletproof 2.7l four-pot is let down by a heavy thirst for fuel. (Toyota) 5: It’s thirsty The 1,970kg Land Cruiser FJ is, for the time being, only available with a single engine — the 2.7l four-cylinder 2TR-FE petrol engine that’s been around since the early 2000s and has seen action in everything from the Innova and Hi-Ace to the Hilux and (briefly) Fortuner. While it’s known for being highly reliable, easy to work on and capable of racking up impressive mileage (well over 300,000km with care and basic maintenance), it’s also got a mean reputation for being extremely thirsty. Toyota quotes a claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 10.7l/100km, which I soon found to be extremely optimistic. Even with a considerate throttle foot cruising down the N7 highway to our lunch stop in Riebeek-Kasteel (100 km), the best I could get the onboard computer to display was 13.5l/100km. After some light off-roading in and around the farmland surrounding Eight Feet Village, this shot up to 16.5l/100km, with some of the other journos present reporting even higher numbers. Ouch. At that rate you can expect to drain the 63l fuel tank fairly quickly. With all that kerb weight to move around, this unit requires a fair amount of revving to get you moving with any urgency, especially when merging onto a freeway or overtaking slower traffic. With 122kW available at 5,200rpm (redline is a whisker over 5,500rpm) and 245Nm of torque at 4,000rpm, I can best describe the Land Cruiser FJ’s road performance as adequate. Though at power-sapping reef altitudes, I suspect it would be a different story. Major off-road controls are easy to reach on the centre console right next to the gear lever. (Toyota) Driven off-road, plugging along at low speeds, this four-pot feels a lot more at home with a decent amount of low-down torque to propel you up and over obstacles with relative ease. Transmission-wise, it’s paired to a six-speed torque converter gearbox that’s smooth, well-stacked and suits the Land Cruiser FJ’s generally laid-back demeanour. It does like to hunt though, particularly when faced with long inclines, often swapping down a cog or two even while holding a constant throttle. While it offers manual shifting via the gear selector on the centre console, I found it best to keep it locked in full auto mode and let it do its thing — unless you’re negotiating a steep descent and need the engine braking effect. While first gear is intentionally short to aid with off-roading, sixth has some real legs with 120km/h arriving at a little over 2,000rpm — nice for long trips and keeping engine noise to a minimum. Maximum towing capacity weighs in at a useful 2,500kg braked and 750kg unbraked. For the average buyer the Land Cruiser FJ will take them most places. (Toyota) 6: Extremely capable off the beaten path If you intend on doing a lot of off-roading, the Land Cruiser FJ is definitely going to flip your switch. There’s a part-time four-wheel drive system with a low-range transfer case and three drive modes (2H, 4H and 4L), a rear differential lock, hill start assist, vehicle stability control and a button that, when pressed, allows you to pull off in second gear to avoid unnecessary wheelspin. Toyota has also fitted its latest downhill assist control that operates with way more polish than prior systems and less noise too. In the past you’d hear the ABS pump clicking and clacking and groaning when the system was called into action, but now all you notice is a muted sound reminiscent of a Galactic Empire TIE Fighter firing its laser cannon. Toyota has also installed Prado-derived front drivetrain components and a lightweight Fortuner-based propeller shaft to optimise durability and performance. This hardware is backed up by 245mm of ground clearance, a short wheelbase of 2,580mm (270mm shorter than the Prado), a turning circle of 5.5m and approach and departure angles of 29o and 38o respectively. The front overhang is 990mm and the rear 1,040mm. On our launch drive we did some basic off-roading that saw us ascend and descend some rugged jeep tracks. Needless to say, the Land Cruiser FJ tackled them without breaking a sweat, even on those urban-orientated Bridgestone Dueler highway-terrain tyres. Fit some proper all-terrain footwear to this thing and you’ll be able to conquer far more challenging obstacles with equal aplomb. Of course, down the line, you can be sure third-party suppliers will be selling a plethora of modification kits to raise your ride height, beef up your underbody protection and take you even further along the trails less travelled. Slick digital instrument cluster is standard on both GX and VX trims. (Toyota) 7: Plenty of scope for personalisation From launch the Land Cruiser FJ can be fitted with a range of accessory options developed in collaboration with ARB and Toyota Genuine Accessories. At the time of writing, these include a snorkel, roof rack, skid plates, spare wheel garnish, mud flaps, side moulding garnish, rubberised luggage tray mat and the aforementioned 12.3-inch infotainment upgrade. More information on these items can be had at your nearest Toyota dealership. 8: Is diesel a dirty word? The big elephant in the Land Cruiser FJ room is whether Toyota will offer it with a 2.4l or 2.8l GD6 diesel engine sometime in the future. After all, both powertrains are much-loved in the Hilux and Fortuner line-ups, with the 2.8l recently adopted by the Land Cruiser 70 Series. To me this would be a no-brainer, as either variant would offer more power, more torque and significantly lower fuel consumption both on- and off-road. I love the mechanical simplicity of the 2.7l petrol and the fact you don’t have to worry about sometimes-finicky common rail diesel injectors failing, EGR valves sooting up and the possibility of turbochargers going on the fritz, but its massive thirst and comparatively lethargic performance do count against it. We pressed Toyota on the diesel question during the business session but they remained tight-lipped and could neither confirm nor deny if one of the GD6 units was being considered. To us, it would seem silly not to, as it would not only boost the vehicle’s appeal in South Africa but also allow it to go on sale in markets such as Australia, where the petrol four-cylinder fails to meet its strict CO2 emissions standards. All I can say is watch this space. The Land Cruiser FJ is available in Platinum White Pearl, Attitude Black, Ash, Calcite Blue, pictured, and Oxide Bronze. (Toy) Pricing The new Toyota Land Cruiser FJ GX is priced at R714,000 and the VX at R761,400. This includes a nine-service/90,000km service plan and a three-year/100,000km warranty.