Toyota FJ Cruiser

Once you get settled in the FJ Cruiser you’d start appreciating its old school and manual features. But the old school doesn’t mean uncomfortable. The front seats here are made up of leather and are nicely contoured providing a good amount of support. There are separate armrests for both the front seats. The view around from this seating position is pretty wide and clear. You sit in a commanding position which gives you a sense of superiority.

The steering wheel doesn’t get any mounted controls. The meter cluster behind it is very basic, both in terms of looks and functionality. There are three dials located in the centre of the dashboard. The first one is a compass, the middle one is a screen which shows temperature and other details, and the last one is an altimeter. Below these dials are air-con vents and the infotainment system which supports AM/FM/CD/AUX/USB, and Bluetooth. Surrounding this are buttons and knobs for controlling other functions like hazard lamps and manual air-conditioning.

Getting in the rear seat is a bit cumbersome, and space back there isn’t that great. It would be sufficient for kids but full-size adults might not want to spend a lot of time there because the legroom isn’t much, plus the large C-pillar and small windows would introduce a feeling of claustrophobia. Since the FJ Cruiser has been designed to go off-road, its seat material is water-repellent and the interior materials that are used, ensure that dirt, dust and water can be easily cleaned.

Over the years of its existence, the FJ Cruiser didn’t get any major cosmetic updates. We’re glad that didn’t happen because it is its old school, classic, and retro design that makes it stand out from the crowd. Yes, it doesn’t come anywhere close to the off-road SUVs that we are getting today, but it doesn’t hurt or pisses off anyone. So that’s alright. The front of the FJ Cruiser features a couple of round shaped headlights which are accompanied by a pair of long side turn signals. The front grille houses the Toyota brand name and not the symbol that we get nowadays. Interesting, isn’t it?

Then there’s the massive bumper. It is simply built to function in any kind of terrain condition. With just a look at it, you can tell how sturdy it is and it can take a lot of beating without giving up or would it ever give up?

The side profile of the Toyota FJ Cruiser is very interesting. You get an almost 90-degree vertical front windscreen, and then the roof is almost a straight line with a bit of a slant towards the rear end. The proportions of the FJ Cruiser aren’t spot on but they don’t appear to be that boxy either, say like that of a Mercedes-Benz G63. From the first look it would seem that the FJ Cruiser is a 3-door vehicle, but later you’d notice that’s not the case. It’s a 5-door vehicle however, you can’t open the rear two doors from the outside.

Moving towards the rear, the taillight cluster is small, which suits the minimal lighting arrangement at the front of the car. The tail lights are protruding a bit from the vehicle’s body. The boot lid opens horizontally which takes a whole lot of space to fully open when compared to the vertically opening tailgates.

The tyre size of the FJ Cruiser is 256/70/R17 for the GXR variant and 275/70/R16 for the Xtreme model. They perform really well in both on and off-road scenarios. They also offer a good amount of grip that enhances the overall handling of the vehicle. Toyota has given a high ground clearance to the FJ Cruiser. This, along with the large wheel arches, helps the vehicle to climb big rocks without a fuss.

Another interesting feature that you’d find on the FJ Cruiser is the differential lock. It further enhances the off-road finesse of the car and adds more fun to your off-road adventure.

Opening up the FJ Cruiser spec sheet you’ll find that under that hood is a massive 4.0-litre V6 that produces 270 horsepower at 5600 revs and generates a peak torque of 380 Nm that kicks in at 4400 revs. The power transmission is handled by a 5-speed automatic gearbox. Toyota is known for building some of the most reliable and durable vehicles, and the FJ Cruiser is no exception. It has got some very good off-road capabilities that make it a fun-to-drive vehicle. Its part-time 4x4 system enables it to tackle some of the worst terrain conditions. And for people who like to kill their time in the sand dunes of the Middle East, the FJ Cruiser would not disappoint them.

In terms of safety, Toyota has implemented a number of features in the FJ Cruiser like Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Active Traction Control (A-TRAC), Dual Front Airbags, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, Rear Parking Sensors, Crawl Control, Rear-View Camera, etc. These features do provide a sense of safety to the occupants but they aren’t anywhere close to the features that we’re now getting.

Launched in 2005, just the fact that you can get a brand-new FJ Cruiser even today is a big thing in itself. There aren’t many vehicles around that have seen such a long life without getting any serious update, and still, continue to perform brilliantly. If you’re in the market looking for a retro SUV that has got a good ride quality on and off the road and isn’t that heavy on your pocket, and you can live with manual controls, then you should definitely consider the Toyota FJ Cruiser.