Toyota: FT-4X Could Define New Niche

NEW YORK – Toyota designers believe they may have discovered some market white space in creating the FT-4X off-roader concept unveiled at the auto show here.

Designed by Toyota’s Calty studio in California, the FT-4X is the latest attempt to meet CEO Akio Toyoda’s directive to create more exciting vehicles.

“It helps when our president is a car enthusiast and a design enthusiast,” says Kevin Hunter, president of Calty Design, adding he believes the FT-4X fills a gap in the market with its appeal to “casual-core” rather than hardcore outdoor enthusiasts.

“(Toyoda) wants cool cars. And that’s our passion now, to make amazing cars that you desire. We’re not making boring cars anymore.”

Whether Toyota actually plans to build the model is unclear, but several concepts that have carried the FT (Future Toyota) designation have made it to production. The 4-wheel-drive FT-4X is based on Toyota’s global architecture that underpins the CH-R CUV, so it was designed with production in mind.

“This is only the beginning,” Hunter says. “We’re going to show it to everybody and gauge reaction. If we get a lot of positive response that greases the wheels to get things moving, then maybe someday (it will go into production). But we’re optimistic.

“A lot of this car is doable. We think it’s the next step” in off-road utilities, he adds.

Hunter doesn’t attach a price target to the vehicle, but says: “We imagine this to be an affordable vehicle. It’s not meant to be a super-high-end car.

The model’s signature feature, its flexible rear door that opens as a conventional hatch or with the turn of a dial converts to twin split doors that fold open to the vehicle’s sides, could be ready for production with a few tweaks, says Ian Cartabiano, Calty’s chief designer.

“The rear is the new front,” says Cartabiano, who believes about 75% of the concept is capable of production today. “We started with the rear…and designed a totally usable, functional, amazing tailgate for this thing. And the rest just falls into place.”

Other features, such as the large handles that make it a snap to open the doors when wearing ski gloves and the center-console mount that makes it easier to use a smartphone for navigation, also would appear to be key features that could carry over to production.

The concept does not represent a revival of the FJ Cruiser, Hunter says, though he admits it’s no accident the FT-4X builds on the FJ heritage with its grille and other accents.

“This vehicle is not body-on-frame and is not as hardcore as the FJ Cruiser,” he says, adding he could envision both the FT-4X and a future FJ Cruiser living side by side in Toyota’s lineup.

“There’s still a hardcore enthusiast out there that needs something more, and they enjoy getting out there and doing some crazy stuff,” Hunter says. “This buyer isn’t like that; they don’t need to do that.”

The concept was spawned from research of how Millennials living in the San Francisco area used their vehicles on weekends, the designers say.

“They want a vehicle that they can navigate around the city, but escape into the wild at a moment’s notice,” he says. “That’s why we included everything in the car that they would need.”

Among the concept’s equipment are a number of dual-purpose items, such as an armrest that converts to a sleeping bag and dome lights that turn into flashlights.

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