FJ Cruiser: Because that's how we roll, mate

Toyota FJ Cruiser's youthful character sets it streets apart from Toyota's usually conservative image. Photo / Jacqui Madelin

What is it?

Big, brash and assertive, Toyota's FJ Cruiser looks every millimetre a concept car; a planet-trampling comic-book vehicle that tips a nod to the original FJ it commemorates.

Effectively it's a brand-new skin mounted atop a short wheelbase 150-series, albeit with the wheels pushed out. That means that although it's considerably shorter than other Land Cruisers, and lighter, it includes all Prado's clever off-road technology and its standard equipment - including six airbags, stability and traction control.

Power comes from a 4.0-litre V6 petrol sending 200kW and 380Nm to the wheels via a five-speed auto with low range.

That design brings some compromises - the rear seats' truncated suicide door doesn't much help entry and those back windows are more like portholes than anything else, though there's reasonable leg and head room for rear passengers; the waistline's high but better than some, and kids struggling to see out may be mollified by the car's cool factor.

We like

Very roomy boot with an easy-clean plastic floor; use the luggage net to prevent smaller bags skittering about. Water repellant seat fabrics and plastic floor mats help keep the cabin tidy, and we love flourishes like the speakers tucked in the roof-lining, a detail that, along with this car's design, oozes youthful character in a manner which sets it streets apart from Toyota's usually conservative image.

We loathe

That design makes for a few less-than-ideal compromises. Rear vision is very poor even with the rear view camera and its tiny screen. Those massive side mirrors cut chunks of vision, especially on roundabouts, tricky junctions or tight bends.

And despite a few open cubbies, a lidded dashtop-bin and a glovebox too small to be useful, there's not enough cabin storage for the average family's everyday detritus. Jacqui Madelin