Toyota’s Smallest Land Cruiser Yet Could Cost Just $25,000

The Land Cruiser Family

Before the Corolla, Toyota's most exported product was the Land Cruiser. It rolled out in 1951 and was a result of the U.S needing a jeep-like vehicle for the Korean War. Toyota won the contract for that, and the original FJ and BJ models were born. It didn't get the Land Cruiser name until 1954 because Toyota couldn't use the Jeep name as it was a registered trademark.

Since then, several generations of the Land Cruiser have been made. It's split into three branches, namely the heavy-duty series, the light-duty series, and the station wagon. However, that family has added a fourth member: the Land Cruiser FJ.

Land Cruiser Jr.

The Land Cruiser FJ made its world premiere in the fourth quarter of 2025, first being shown to the public during that year's Japan Mobility Show. It's the smallest four-door Land Cruiser, measuring just 180.1 inches. Reservations are now open in Japan, and production in Thailand kicked off last month.

Unlike its larger brothers, the Land Cruiser FJ uses the Toyota IMV platform. It underpins the Hilux, as well as the Fortuner SUV and Innova MPV, which are available in select markets. IMV is a tried-and-tested architecture, honed over 20 years. It's not the freshest chassis, but it's proven.

Mechanically, it's relatively simple, as it uses the same 2.7-liter engine that served as the base powertrain for the Tacoma from 2004 to 2023. No fancy eight-speed automatic in here, either, as it sticks to a six-speed unit. It comes with a center diff-lock, a rear diff-lock, and hill-descent control.

How Much?

Toyota has yet to release the car to customers in Japan. However, the Japanese site Best Car has allegedly gotten the indicative pricing for the mini Land Cruiser. According to them, it will hover between ¥4 million and ¥4.5 million yen. For reference, the Land Cruiser 250 starts at ¥5.2 million and tops out at ¥7.35 million. The 300 Series (the real Land Cruiser) ranges from ¥5.25 million to ¥8.2 million.

Convert that to U.S. dollars, and the baby Land Cruiser could start at just over $25,000. That's less than half of Toyota's asking price for an entry-level Land Cruiser, which starts at $57,600. But, say it starts at ¥4.5 million, that's still about $28,500 at current conversion rates. That's incredible value given that car prices are higher than ever.

However...

Sadly, this potential bargain has no chance of coming to America. The IMV platform isn't made for America, and thus, cannot be sold stateside. Oddly enough, the Land Cruiser FJ won't be offered in Europe, either, mainly due to the continent's stringent emissions regulations.

The markets that will get it (besides Japan) are East and Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The 2.7-liter engine appears to be the only engine option for Japan, but it's possible that a diesel engine could be added down the line. It is, after all, based on the Hilux.

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