TOYOTA

Compact Cruiser EV: the model that could be the FJ Cruiser of the future

The Toyota Compact Cruiser EV was one of 15 concept models presented simultaneously by Toyota and Lexus in Tokyo a few months ago. On that occasion, the company unveiled its EV strategy, a 100% electric strategy with many possibilities, shapes and models.

The Toyota bZ series will be dedicated to battery-powered vehicles. The Toyota bZ means going 'beyond zero emissions'. Freedom of movement and fun for everyone. For the bZ series, Toyota has developed a specific platform for battery electric vehicles to satisfy the diverse needs of the global market.

Most of Toyota's battery electric vehicles that have been introduced are models that will be released in the next few years, so we'll see the attractive Compact Cruiser EV on the road. Interestingly, the goal is to achieve global sales of 3.5 million battery electric vehicles per year from today to 2030.

The Toyota Compact Cruiser EV is a small-sized all-terrain vehicle that won the Car Design Award for Concept Vehicles 2022. Thanks to this, the Japanese brand reveals for now some photos, representations and sketches of the prototype created by the design development center. of Toyota Europe (ED2) in Nice, France.

Toyota designers were inspired by the first generation Land Cruiser. However, the model gets all of the company's off-road heritage. In essence, we could say that this is a futuristic retro FJ Cruiser, as it looks like an evolution of the 2017 Toyota FT-4X Concept.

On the front there are new LED headlights reminiscent of the J80 and cleaner lines. There's no shortage of large protective plates, square fenders, generous ground clearance, a side ladder and luggage rack as they enhance the concept's robust nature despite its compact size.

The prototype that appears in the images is a static clay model, so we still don't know its interior. Among its rivals could be the Suzuki Jimny and the future compact all-terrain Jeep, of which so far little is known. According to Toyota, the target audience is “young urban residents and professionals who enjoy outdoor leisure activities”.

In the words of Simon Humphries, Senior General Manager of Design at Toyota, “Our research into electric vehicles has been going on for over 30 years, and we've come a long way. After a first phase of contact with electric vehicles, people will want zero-emission cars that talk about them and express their way of life. The Compact Cruiser EV is a perfect example of this trend.”

Autonews