Toyota LandCruiser FJ has the wrong engine for Aussies
The sales boss at Toyota Australia says the retro-styled LandCruiser FJ’s 2.7-litre engine doesn’t suit our market, but the door isn’t completely bolted shutThe News
Toyota Australia has again poured cold water on the boxy $40,000 LandCruiser FJ coming Down Under, with its top sales executive pointing the finger squarely at what’s under the bonnet.
Toyota Australia sales boss John Pappas says the FJ’s 2.7-litre engine “…doesn’t really meet our market requirements,” but left the door ajar should that change.
The Key Details
- LandCruiser FJ uses a 2.7-litre engine, not Toyota’s 2.8-litre turbo-diesel
- Toyota Australia says it doesn’t suit local requirements
- Brand would ‘love to consider it’ if the engine changed
- Prado sales down 28.3 per cent year-to-date, Fortuner down 50.6 per cent
The Finer Details
It’s a question Toyota fields at every media event, and Pappas knew it was coming.
“We always get asked,” said Pappas, before explaining the sticking point.
“Look, that engine is a 2.7 engine. It’s not the 2.8. So that doesn’t really meet our market requirements.
“But if it ever changed, you know, we’d love to consider it,” he said, cautious to rule out what would be a huge seller for the brand.
The 2.8 he’s referring to is the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel that powers just about every serious Toyota workhorse sold here, from the HiLux and Fortuner to the Prado and 70 Series.
For Aussie buyers who tow, tour and head bush, that engine is the price of entry.
On paper, an FJ Cruiser would slot neatly into a gap in the Toyota range. The Fortuner starts at $53,775 plus on-road costs (ORCs), while the cheapest Prado GX is $73,200 plus ORCs. Entry-level versions of the FJ Cruiser could slot in at around $40,000.
Toyota could use a fresh face in that space, given September 2026 VFACTS data shows the Prado is down 28.3% year-to-date at 15,665 sales, though it did lift 6.4% in September to 2006 units.
The Fortuner has halved, down 50.6% to 1293 sales, with just 15 sold last month.
More broadly, diesel SUV sales are down 23.2% year-to-date to 72,123, so the case for a petrol FJ isn’t perhaps as far-fetched as it once was.
The Road Ahead
Toyota Australia is still treading water around the new FJ Cruiser and the official line is the same as it ever was – the current engine wouldn’t work in Australia.
But “we’d love to consider it” isn’t a no forever. It should be mentioned the FJ Cruiser has been imported to Australia for accessory development but official importation is still in limbo.
Should Toyota find a way to shoehorn the 2.8 turbo-diesel – or perhaps a petrol-electric hybrid – into the FJ, expect plenty of Aussies to put their hand up.
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