The quirky Toyota FJ Cruiser has been pulled from a number of major markets – including the United States and Australia – over the past few years. But production at the Hamura Plant in Japan has continued, with the model soldiering on in South Africa and a handful of other markets.
Now, however, the Japanese automaker has hinted that fans should prepare to say farewell to the chunky off-roader for good, with the quiet announcement of a “Final Edition” variant for Japan.
Yes, with news from Frankfurt dominating headlines, Toyota tucked away the announcement of this “special specification” FJ Cruiser in a press release primarily about the re-introduction of the Hilux to the Japanese market.
Set to launch in Japan in mid-October, the “Final Edition” FJ Cruiser features a “special shade of beige” throughout its interior and exterior that Toyota says “creates a distinctive sense of modernity”.
The colour has been applied to the exterior, the seat upholstery and the centre cluster trim, along with added black trim inside and out. Special 20-inch alloys and chunky side-steps are also included.
As before, this model is powered by a 4,0-litre V6 1GR-FE petrol engine worth 200 kW and 380 N.m, linked to a five-speed automatic transmission.
What does this mean for South Africa? Well, we’ve reached out to Toyota SA Motors for comment, and will update this story once we receive feedback.
[UPDATE: Toyota SA Motors told us that it has “not received any word of FJ discontinuation” from Japan, adding that “it appears the model continues for certain selected markets till further notice”.]
