Is This The Next Toyota FJ Cruiser?

6 months ago - 4 June 2025, Carbuzz

The next iteration of the Toyota FJ Cruiser, which has been dead two years ago, has been part of the rumor mill for a few years now, and rightfully so. The Japanese marque has teased the model quite handsomely on various occasions - one even as cheeky as showing it as a backdrop at the launch of the all-new Land Cruiser (Land Cruiser 250/Prado).

We now know what it would look like, thanks to a recently discovered (but rather old) design patent.

The patent was found in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)’s design database, discovered by Top Gear Philippines. It was filed on January 30, 2024, though it was only published this year in March. Unfortunately, the patent submission didn't come with a name, but the drawing shows a high-angle, front-quarter view of what it looks like to be the next FJ Cruiser.

Lots Of Reports, Nothing's Confirmed For Now
Toyota has been coy on details about the upcoming FJ Cruiser. But perhaps the most concrete information we've known so far is that the next FJ Cruiser will be using the IMV 0 platform, used by the Hilux Champ. The workhorse, sold in Southeast Asian countries, is a highly modified version of the IMV platform that underpins the current Toyota Fortuner and Hilux - cousins of the 4Runner and Tacoma, sold outside America.

However, one of the latest that has come out of the grapevine was that the much-awaited FJ Cruiser revival has been delayed to 2026, rather than a supposed autumn debut in time for the 2025 Japan Mobility Show. Certification and production issues were cited to be the reasons, though we believe the current tariff woes will also greatly affect its development and the target markets it will be offered to.

Is It Going To Be Electric Or ICE?
Now, let's talk about powertrains, because this is quite important. The patent drawing above looks like a cleaner version of the Compact Cruiser EV concept shown in 2022, and as its name suggests, it's fully electric - far from the gas-guzzling V6-powered FJ Cruiser we all know and love (or hate). And since the nameplate already has a following, we do not see any benefit to reviving it as an EV.

There's still hope for a gas-powered FJ Cruiser, though. The IMV 0 platform can accommodate both conventional engines and full-electric configurations. At the very least, Toyota should offer it as a hybrid since the company's currently championing that strategy right now. We'll certainly know more toward the end of this year, and we're still hoping to see it at the Japan Mobility Show in October.