PIMS 2018: Toyota PH Teases with Toyota Tj Cruiser

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) is keeping it simple at the 2018 Philippine International Motor Show. With the all-new Toyota Vios making its debut only a few of months ago, the Japanese carmaker’s attention-getter at the biennial motor show is one of its concept vehicles it debuted at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show: the Toyota Tj Cruiser.

According to Toyota, the ‘T’ stands for ‘Toolbox’ in reference to how the vehicle can be used like a toolbox, while the ‘j’ refers to the joy of visiting various places using the vehicle, and while the name ‘Cruiser’ is usually used by Toyota for its SUV lineup, it used it on the crossover concept to express its power.

True to its utilitarian, van-like capabilities, the Tj Cruiser has a boxy exterior while its large SUV-sized tires hint at its off-road abilities.

Inside, the Tj Cruiser’s seats can fold completely flat to store items up to three meters in length. In addition, the cargo area and the hard seat backs are equipped with numerous tie-down points to anchor all sorts of cargo down and prevent them from moving around the cabin. Also, the seat cushion of the passenger seat directly behind the driver can be flipped up toward the front to create a dedicated space for storing groceries or shopping items. Lastly, the large opening of the back door and the sliding doors allow for easy loading and unloading of both its occupants and large items.

The Tj Cruiser looks big but with a length, width, and height of  of 4,300 mm, 1,775 mm, and 1,620 mm, respectively, it’s roughly the same size as the Toyota C-HR crossover but with a 2,750 mm wheelbase that’s longer than that of the FJ Cruiser.

If and when it goes into production, the Toyota Tj Cruiser will make use of the next-generation TNGA platform, will have a 2.0-liter engine and an electric motor for a hybrid system, and be available as either a front-wheel or four-wheel drive vehicle.

Other than the Tj Cruiser, visitors to the motor show can see some of the vehicles in TMP’s lineup up close led by the all-new Vios. Joining it on the show floor are the Toyota Prius C, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Innova, Toyota Fortuner, and an execution of what the all-new Vios will look like as a race car for TMP’s Vios Cup one-make race series.