Toyota Australia on Monday said it would add the FJ Cruiser SUV to its range early next year.
A pre-production right hand drive version will make its local debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney in October. Local FJ sales are expected to start late in the first quarter of 2011. The vehicles will be imported from Japan where they are built by Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors in Hamura.
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“FJ Cruiser will give Toyota a second brand-enhancing vehicle inside 12 months, following the launch of the eye-catching Rukus from 1 June,” the automaker said.
“With looks like no other SUV, FJ Cruiser comes to Australia with a pedigree that stretches back 50 years to the legendary FJ40 LandCruiser.”
The FJ was first shown as a concept at the 2003 Chicago motor show and went on sales in the US late in 2006 as a 2007 model. It has since been launched in Mexico and China, where it is assembled locally.
US models have a four-litre petrol V6 and the choice of two or four-wheel drive, the 4WD models have manual or automatic transmission. Toyota Australia said only that its version would have “a powerful engine” and dual-range 4WD.
