The Toyota Land Cruiser FJ TX is the best variant for those who want to tinker
There’s a lot of hype and some controversy surrounding the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ, being the newest entry into the Land Cruiser family that also happens to be the most affordable in the lineup, thanks to its utilization of a lot of familiar underpinnings from past Toyota vehicles.
All eyes are on the top-of-the-line VX, which is complete in almost every single aspect, but we think that most people shouldn’t sleep on the base TX, which is priced at an accessible (at least for a Land Cruiser) Php 2,235,000.
Apart from being the most affordable, this is also aimed at an entirely different crowd: those who want to customize. Remember, one aspect of the Land Cruiser FJ is its modularity, which opens up a lot of potential, whether first-party or third-party.
Compared to the VX, you lose a couple of things on the outside. The LED headlights are now manual levelling, and you lose the LED foglights. Not that much of an issue if you eventually plan to mount a set of PIAA off-road lamps on the bumper.
Following that, you lose the mudguards, the side step, and roof rails, but then again, this is something that serious off-roaders or overlanders will probably have planned out with their aftermarket brand of choice. Also, instead of 18-inch alloy wheels, the TX gets some delicious-looking 17-inch steel wheels, which will most likely be swapped out for a new set.
The interior upholstery is still the same synthetic leather, but the steering wheel is now made of urethane (plastic), and the driver’s seat adjustments are six-way manual instead of the eight-way power, but most aspects in the interior are the same, which is a good thing.
The head unit is now a separate nine-inch unit with wired Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto instead of the nicer 12.3-inch infotainment that utilizes Toyota’s proprietary infotainment system, but that opens up an easier upgrade pathway, especially if you want to swap out the six speakers.
Consequently, you do end up losing out on the very helpful 360-degree camera for off-roading, with you having to utilize a single rear camera (but you still have front and rear parking sensors), but there are aftermarket solutions for that. What can’t be replaced is the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 advanced driver assistance suite, but most enthusiasts will look at this as a good thing, whether it’s one less thing to break or to annoy you while you’re off-roading.
Power is supplied by the familiar 2TR-FE engine, a 2.7-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine that produces 166 horsepower and 245Nm of torque, exclusively mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that sends it to all four wheels, of course, with proper off-roading hardware like diff locks and a low-range gearbox.
You may think that this is a “downgrade”, especially since it isn’t utilizing a turbodiesel, but this is a tried-and-tested powertrain from Land Cruisers of the past, and it proves to be quite capable with some personality, as the engine tends to growl naturally when pushed.
Plus, the IMV platform opens up opportunities to have existing off-road modifications from the likes of the Hilux and Fortuner being adapted to the LCFJ much faster than if it were to utilize a bespoke platform.
And for those who think that the TX variant of the Land Cruiser FJ is not worth it, well, you simply aren’t the right crowd for it. As we said earlier, Toyota Motor Philippines knew who they were positioning this for, and strategically removed parts that would end up being swapped out by enthusiasts.
Photos by Julian Panlilio
