New Toyota FJ Cruiser rendered as new Prado looms

A new rendering by digital automotive designer Rain Prisk has given the world a glimpse of what a new-generation Toyota FJ Cruiser could look like, if Toyota decided to revive the nameplate for a third outing.

The last generation Toyota FJ Cruiser was essentially a reskinned Toyota Prado and spent five years in local showrooms between 2011 and 2016 before Toyota killed it off as global sales dwindled and production wound down in Japan.

If the retro-styled off-roader was to rise again, it would almost certainly be underpinned by Toyota’s new TNGA-F ladder-frame platform that debuted under the new LandCruiser 300 Series and is also expected to underpin the next-generation Prado within the next 12 to 18 months.

Whereas the second-gen FJ Cruiser stood out like a sore thumb in terms of styling, this new rendering bares more than a few similarities with the US-market Ford Bronco, which would likely prove to be its primary competitor.

It’s no coincidence the rendered FJ Cruiser and the Bronco look similar, with Prisk citing the Ford’s popularity and his previous affections for the old FJ.

“I have always liked the FJ Cruiser, and since the new Bronco is massively popular, I thought I'd try to make a new version of the FJ Cruiser,” said Prisk on Facebook.

At first glance, the render could be mistaken for an all-electric Bronco given the lack of an open or mesh grille, its similarly boxy proportions, black roof material and chunky tyres.

The pair even feature the same circular daytime running lights surrounding the headlights and reaching in towards the blocky capital-letter grille badging.

There are some key differences though, the main ones being the FJ’s signature compact rear suicide doors and the familiar two-tone front bumper seen on the last generation.

Whereas the last FJ was powered exclusively by a 4.0-litre petrol V6 paired to a six-speed automatic transmission, the third generation would almost certainly pinch the engine and running gear from the new Prado which at this stage could well be a detuned or single-turbo version of the LandCruiser’s 3.3-litre diesel V6.

Another alternative to four-cylinder turbo-diesel power for the new Prado – and the next FJ Cruiser, at least in markets that prefer petrol engines – is the 3.5-litre turbo-petrol V6 found in overseas versions of the new LandCruiser, which could also donate its eventual hybrid powertrain based on the same engine.

Suspicions of the bigger donk were roused last month when Toyota filed a patent application for the ‘Lexus GX550’ nameplate with IP Australia, suggesting a high-powered/big engined Lexus-badged version of the Prado – something already offered in other markets but never Down Under – could be released locally.

Lexus and Toyota have remained tight-lipped on the matter so far, but time will ultimately tell, and it’s the timing of the trademark submission that suggests the imminent reveal and looming introduction of a new-gen Prado.

While the new Lexus LX will arrive within 12 months of the new 300 Series on which it’s based, new Prados traditionally follow new LandCruisers by about 12-18 months. The existing fourth-generation Prado 150 Series was released in Australia in late 2009, less than two years after the previous LandCruiser 200 Series in 2007.

All of this points to an early 2023 arrival for the new Prado and either a late 2023 or early 2024 launch for the Lexus GX.

Examining the old FJ’s timeline, it turned up in local showrooms 18 months after the first J150 Prados did, so a similar ETA as the Lexus GX550 could be on the cards, should Toyota decide to reincarnate it for a second time.