Toyota FJ Cruiser 4L V6 VVT-i Performance Options

The FJ Cruiser, one of the most striking Land Cruisers to hit South African soil was showcased for the first time recently at the Nampo Harvest Day in Bothaville in the Free State.

The Toyota FJ Cruiser 4L V6 VVT-i, a unique and highly capable 4x4 SUV, is expected to arrive in South African showrooms in August 2011, but visitors to the Nampo Harvest Day have an opportunity to see and experience the uniquely styled SUV at the Toyota stand.

Toyota is responding to the needs of a new generation of buyers by introducing the FJ Cruiser, a modern interpretation of a Toyota classic.

The FJ Cruiser brings together the off-road ruggedness and performance associated with Toyota's heritage as well as the safety and refinement demanded by today's motorists.

The FJ Cruiser is fitted with a powerful Toyota 4L V6 petrol engine and boasts retro styling that is reminiscent of its Land Cruiser FJ - predecessors.

The FJ Cruiser is equipped with a rugged 4x4 system and promises the same go-anywhere off road capabilities that underlies every Toyota that wears a Land Cruiser badge.

The FJ Cruiser uses the 4.0 litre V6 with VVT-i, rated at 193 kW at 4 400 rpm, and 370 Nm of torque at 4 400 rpm.

It is the same engine that is used in some versions of the Hilux, Fortuner and other Cruisers.

Which means we can offer you a host of naturally aspirated upgrade options from the cost effective and simple Stage 1 that a Uni-Q Chip, performance exhaust & branch plus airbox mod fitted to your FJ Cruiser.

Should you want even more, then we suggest that you go for the next stage, and that sees the cylinder head being gasflowed to perfection and re-profiled camshafts fitted.

You can even take this a bit further by opting to have bigger valves for better breathing fitted and really hit the road ahead of all the others.

But what if this is still not enough?

At this stage the Toyota TRD supercharger kit is only available at the SAC Kyalami and Boksburg branches.

You know that this kit is going to be as good and reliable as anything that comes directly from the factory.

In fact, the kit is so good, that overseas, when it is installed by an authorised Toyota dealer, the supercharger has the same warranty as the power train or the balance of the new car warranty, whichever is greater.

Unfortunately, it must be noted that no such agreement is in place in South Africa and the fitment of this kit can affect your warranty.

But back to the kit itself, it is also developed purely for use on the 4.0 V6 petrol Toyota engine, so it is not a case of fitting a generic unit and hoping that it will work like you expect.

Every nut, bolt and pipe goes exactly where it is meant to go and this results in a kit that not only does the job, but looks the part too.

This supercharger system features Eaton roots-type rotating components in a one-piece integral manifold, iridium spark plugs, and a five-rib serpentine drive belt system running at around 0.5 bar of boost pressure.

This is enough to turn your Toyota in a real tar burner, now with 250 kW and 530 Nm of power and torque available for you to exploit at the mere prod of the accelerator pedal.

You will also have vastly improved low down torque and this you know results in far nicer vehicle to drive on a daily basis.

For further information on power outputs and pricing on these power upgrades, click “here” and select the SAC branch nearest to you and a sales consultant will contact you.

But now back to the FJ Cruiser, this new SUV uses a high-mounted, double wishbone front suspension and stabilizer bar, and a 4-link rear suspension with lateral rod with coil springs and stabilizer bar.

The 120-series Land Cruiser Prado shares the same suspension parts as the FJ Cruiser.

Standard equipment includes rear fog-lamps, privacy glass, rear parking sensors, cruise control, air-conditioning, steering-mounted audio controls, a multi-information display, central locking, eight-speaker audio with CD stacker, USB, iPod, Bluetooth and auxilllary connectivity.

The cabin was designed specifically for basic functionality and flexible utility - an instrument panel with horizontal beams, the cluster of three dials on top of the dashboard, flexible seating and a body-coloured stamped faceplate with round instrumentation.

The eight-speaker audio includes a world-first in which the ceiling headliner is an integral part of the speaker system, showering the occupants with sound.

Its low range transfer case, rear diff-lock and switchable off-road traction control, A-trac, which diverts drive to wheels with traction, will give it real capability in the rough.

Approach and departure angles are among the best in class: 36-degree approach, 31-degree departure and 29-degree ramp-over.

Combined with a high stance, tight turning circle, good wheel articulation and robust underbody protection, the FJ Cruiser will be able to get in and out of some very marginal off-road situations without bashing the undersides.

Torque and engine-braking from the 4.0-litre V6 is said to be strong and well-harnessed by the dual-range five-speed box.

Toyota has provided easy entry to the second row of seats by incorporating rear-opening access doors, while retaining the two-door appeal of the original FJ.

Using clever design, the B-pillars are built into the access doors and support the upper and lower front seatbelt anchorages.

Buyers of the 4x4 have a choice of an electronically shifted five-speed automatic or a six-speed manual gearbox.

The automatic features an adaptable shift pattern that reacts to road conditions as well as driver’s input.

With the manual gearbox, a transfer case utilizing a Torsen limited slip differential, transfers power 40:60 from front to back.

Based on steering angle and wheel slippage, the differential can switch to a 50:50 ratio, as needed. Safety aids include Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with traction (TRAC) control.

Dual stage driver and front passenger airbags are combined with 1st and 2nd row curtain shield and front seat mounted side airbags.