It may surprise you, but the true end of the Toyota FJ Cruiser’s commercial life has just arrived. The model, with retro touches to its design, was still sold in some countries in the Middle East and South Africa, but the Toyota FJ Cruiser would no longer be available for purchase there either. This is more of an end than announced, as these are the only regions in which it was still possible to acquire a unit of this authentic SUV.
This is a limited edition of 1,000 units, destined for the Middle East and announced late last year, becoming the last batch of Toyota FJ cruisers ever produced. With a single finish, beige exterior paint with touches of black, different Final Edition logos and a distinctive interior, this thousandth copy of the model ends a 17-year production phase at the Hamura plant in Japan. It was manufactured by Hino Motors, a subsidiary of Toyota.
Its origins can be traced back to the 2003 Detroit Auto Show, where a retro-looking concept was shown that paid homage to the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 from the 1960s and was aimed at the North American market. It had an attractive design, in keeping with the industry trend of reverse-opening rear doors as well as revisiting the past at the turn of the millennium. It was intended to fill a niche in the brand’s range that had been vacated after the Toyota Land Cruiser became a vehicle more oriented to comfort and less inclined to venture off the asphalt with full solvency.
Yes, we can confirm the end of global production of the Toyota FJ Cruiser from December 2022,” said a spokesperson for the brand in South Africa, according to Cars.co.za
In 2005, also in Detroit, its production version was presented, which a year later went on sale in the United States. It arrived in other markets such as Japan a little later, notably in 2010, while in Spain it was never marketed at brand dealers, although some units brought in by some importers can be seen roaming our streets. .
It was built on a chassis of cross members and spars and with a longitudinal front engine arrangement. The only option for its engine was a four-litre naturally aspirated V6, which initially delivered 242 hp and 377 Nm, though later, in 2011, it was developed to deliver 272 hp and 380 Nm of torque. It was available in two-wheel drive versions – rear-facing – with a five-speed, automatic or manual gearbox, and in an all-wheel drive version, in which case it was mated to a six-speed manual gearbox as required.
With the end of its marketing in the Middle East and South Africa, there will no longer be any market in which the Toyota FJ Cruiser is available. The truth is that it has had one of the longest departures in history, as it was discontinued in the United States in 2014, while in Japan it stopped selling around 2017.
