[ToyoForLife]

Surprised you went through the process, but a length similar to the current Rav4 is more than adequate for me. Recently sat in one and it was proper spacious both in the front and back with a large enough cargo space. Even if they call it the Adventure RAV4, I'd be interested in one if it looks similar to the concept.

 

[ToyoForLife]

Chances are high for the FT-AC to go into production, but we haven't heard much of the Cruiser in a while, so it makes me wonder what's going to happen to that concept. Perhaps Toyota will mention something at the Chicago show. If the Ft-AC turns out to have similar dimensions as the Rav 4, would you take it into consideration?

 

[ToyoForLife]

News from the Detroit auto show is in and Toyota seems interested in producing a small off-road SUV. Toyota Motor North America CEO Jim Lentz spoke with MotorTrend and said “There’s room for an authentic small off-road SUV. Everyone moved out of that segment because of truck CAFE ratings. But we’re getting a lot of requests from folks who want another FJ or some variant.”

Toyota May Bring Back Small FJ Cruiser to Challenge Jeep Wrangler - Motor Trend

 

[ToyoForLife]

I wouldn't expect a Wrangler challenger from Toyota, but I'll be more than happy to see a Renegade challenger from them. Something with a frame chassis design and four-wheel-drive?

 

[ToyoForLife]

Something like a Renegade built by Toyota is pretty much a dream come true for me. The Jeep car looks like it can handle most things you throw at it, but man are there problems with build quality and reliability. If Toyota comes out with their own similar vehicle, they could poach some Renegade owners and it's even better if it's priced perfectly.

I found this little tidbit.

“There is room on the lower end, in terms of price or authenticity, for an off-road, frame-based SUV.”

 

[ToyoForLife]

It's the FT-AC? That's perfect because it's suppose to be the hardier concept out of the two when it come to off road handling, so it's what I would prefer, though that TJ interior is mighty appealing and very unique.

 

[ToyoForLife]

That sounds very hopeful because if they didn't mention the FT-4X, I would have assumed they were referring to the Rav4. But by claiming it's successor to the FJ Cruiser then I can only assume it'll be based off the FT-4X. To me, this is pretty much the green light I've been hoping for.

 

[ToyoForLife]

Maybe whoever is Toyota's rep at the upcoming Chicago show mention something about the FT-4X's future. I assume they're planning something if they're willing to lug the concept to the show.

 

[ToyoForLife]

Sales may have gone down before, but I think now is a good time to bring back something similar to the FJ because of the sudden push for more rugged SUVs and Crossovers. Shame sales continued in other countries and not north america. I'd definitely like to get my hands on the final edition, but that's just not cost effective.

 

[ToyoForLife]

Toyota has the C-HR as their sole crossover and it's honestly a horrible vehicle IMO, so there's still room for improvement and one more model like the FT-AC. But since they insist on lumping it into the Rav4, it won't really be a CUV.
The next largest upcoming show is the one in Geneva i believe. Perhaps there'll be more information there.

 

[ToyoForLife]

I'm not in too much of a rush either and Toyota's older Rav4 models, from what I can recall, seems to be a lot smaller compared to the current gen model. Then it got progressively bigger until we have the car of today. Would like to see it shrink a bit to go back to its easy 2000s size.

 

[ToyoForLife]

When a car approaches within 100 thousand of half a million cars a YEAR in it's current size, it's not very wise to reverse to a now slower selling size. Better to keep the lucrative design and gain even more sales for Toyota with a separate smaller model. Keep in mind the smaller CUVs from other makes sell a fraction of the larger models. For example, the Honda H-RV sells a fraction of what the C-RV sells. Toyota is not going to purposely reduce it's sales and profits.

Wasn't aware that the larger selling models were moving more units than the smaller ones, especially when I've seen to many smaller models coming out these days, heck even talks of UTE pickups. Thought small would be the trend. I'd be happy no matter what, so long as it still has that FJ Cruiser DNA somewhere.

 

[ToyoForLife]

Would Renegade sales not be slowing down because it has been out for a while? Initial reception was very warm from the Jeep community. I'd assume something like the TJ cruiser would have seen similar sales trends as well.

If Toyota is basing their decision on the C-HR then there's really no hope. That car has nothing going for it aside from looks and even then it's polarizing depending on the person. On the other hand, the Cruiser has utility in spades and that could help people overlook what negatives it may have.