FJ Cruiser Future Murky in Light of CAFE
Toyota’s quirky, body-on-frame SUV may be done for, as the cost of bringing it up to U.S. government standards could outweigh the benefits of keeping it around.
December 6, 2012
YOUNTVILLE, CA – The future of Toyota’s 7-year-old FJ Cruiser SUV is up in the air, and the upcoming more stringent U.S. fuel-economy standard is a big reason why, says a top Toyota official.
Offering up a next-generation FJ Cruiser “is a discussion we have quite a bit,” Bill Fay, group vice president and general manager-Toyota Div., tells WardsAuto in an interview here. “Do we invest in that and bring it back within the (fuel-economy) challenges?”
A next-generation FJ Cruiser is penciled in for ’14 but considered on the bubble, according to WardsAuto product forecast data.
U.S. corporate average fuel economy rules require auto makers to post a fleet average of 35.5 mpg (6.6 L/100 km) for the ’16 model year and 54.5-mpg (4.3 L/100 km) by 2025.
While Toyota has many fuel-efficient models, such as the best-selling Prius hybrid, to balance out thirstier vehicles, it still will have to improve mileage ratings of its light-truck lineup in order to meet footprint targets set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
CAFE mandates fuel economy for each vehicle type based on its wheelbase and average track width.
The ’13 FJ Cruiser’s 47-sq.-ft. (4.4-sq.-m) footprint equals a CAFE rating of roughly 45 mpg (5.2 L/100 km), according to the EPA’s template for 2025 utility vehicles with similar dimensions.
With real-world fuel economy roughly 20% less than CAFE calculations, the FJ Cruiser would need to average about 36 mpg (6.5 L/100 km), double the ’13 model’s combined EPA figure. Projections get cloudy, however, as there are a variety of ways auto makers can lessen targets, such as by improving air-conditioning system performance.
Toyota spokesman Mike Michels notes another stumbling block to a second-generation FJ Cruiser is the quirky market performance of such retro-styled vehicles, which typically start strong but fizzle fast.
“Should there have been another VW Beetle?” Michels asks hypothetically. “Is there going to be another Mini? Why would you redo what was so great at capturing” the public’s attention and affection the first time around?
The FJ Cruiser is built on the same platform that underpins the body-on-frame Hilux compact pickup Toyota sells overseas, as well as the Tacoma compact truck and 4Runner and Lexus GX SUVs sold in the U.S.
The FJ Cruiser, with a white roof, bright-colored body paints and name that harkens back to Toyota’s 1960s-era Land Cruiser FJ40, has been on sale since early 2006 virtually unchanged.
Current Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda championed the vehicle, shepherding its development while stationed at Toyota’s now-defunct New United Motor Mfg. plant in Fremont, CA.
Reasons to keep the FJ Cruiser around include a “reputation in the industry (that) is still really strong” and high resale value, Fay says.
The SUV’s sales peaked at 56,225 units in 2006, the model’s first year. Through November 2012, FJ Cruiser volume stood at 12,145, 2.4% below like-2011.
You May Also Like
