The India-bound Toyota Land Cruiser FJ ticks nearly all the main boxes for a rugged SUV, but performance is one of its main downsides. More than the sheer lack of power, purists particularly miss the availability of a diesel engine option. A company official has hinted that a fix may be in the works.
For the uninitiated, the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ is a body-on-frame C-segment SUV that slots below the Toyota Fortuner. Most customers prefer diesel engines in such vehicles for their strong pulling power at low engine speeds and higher fuel economy. In a recent interview with Cars.co.za, Andrew Kirby, the President and CEO of Toyota’s South African subsidiary, said that “there’s a good likelihood” for the introduction of a diesel engine for the Land Cruiser FJ.
However, Kirby indicated that, at least in South Africa, the potential diesel engine is a few years away. He did admit that a diesel engine would “make a big difference to the performance” of the Land Cruiser FJ. Currently, Toyota offers the FJ Cruiser only with the 2TR-FE 2.7-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine globally, along with a 6-speed automatic transmission and a part-time 4WD system.
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On-road performance of the currently available configuration has been widely criticised in key markets, including South Africa and Australia. For reference, Toyota has tuned the 2TR-FE engine in the Land Cruiser FJ to deliver 122 kW (164 hp) at 5,200 rpm and 245 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm.
In India, rumour has it Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) plans to offer the Land Cruiser FJ in petrol, petrol-electric hybrid, and petrol-electric plug-in hybrid variants. The petrol variant should have the 2TR-FE engine under the hood, and the electrified variants may use a modified version of the same. A diesel engine, if introduced globally, could be added at some point.
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As with every non-Maruti Suzuki-derived Toyota sold in our market, the Land Cruiser FJ could be way costlier than other models in its segment, with prices starting at around Rs. 30 lakh (ex-showroom) in the base configuration. TKM will manufacture the Land Cruiser FJ in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra. The company is likely to launch it sometime in 2028.
