It appears Toyota is ready to debut an off-roader concept vehicle at the 2017 New York Auto Show. The announcement came via a single teaser image showing a Goodyear tire mounted on an alloy wheel. Though Toyota is silent the details, some educated guessing and speculation sheds light on this possible future product.
First off, check out those tread blocks. They’re chunky with plenty of space in between. This suggests an off-roader or a moderately capable crossover. The tires are likely directional too, hinted by the arrow on the left side of the teaser image. Off to the right, the tire size of 225/55R18 is embossed into the sidewall. A little math shows these tires are roughly 28 inches tall. As Truck Trend pointed out, that’s about two inches larger than the tires fitted to Toyota’s RAV4 Rally racer and about two inches smaller than the tires on the Tacoma TRD Sport.
So what could Toyota be building? Our bet is a mildly off-road-capable crossover, possibly smaller than the RAV4. Think Honda C-HR but with more ground clearance, suspension travel, and AWD. The funky nature of the C-HR comes across in the FT-4X’s bright orange accented bumper and detailing on the wheel. Concept vehicles are often flashy to attract attention, though, so we might be completely wrong.
The only solid information Toyota released was the location, date, and time of the FT-4X’s debut. It will break cover at 9:10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 12 at the New York Auto Show. You’ll be able to watch the reveal on Toyota’s live stream here.
Continue reading to learn more about the Toyota FT-4X Concept.
Exterior
Note: Toyota RAV4 Rally pictured here
It’s nearly impossible to comment on the exterior when we’ve got so little information. Aside from what’s already been speculated, we expect this mild off-roader to have a bold attitude. Toyota has been growing more youthful over the last few years in an effort to shake its reliable-but-stodgy image. A fun, energetic crossover with a solid 4WD system, suspension travel, power, and grip would likely be well received in today’s SUV-crazed climate.
Interior
Note: RAV4 interior shown here.
Again, Toyota has not divulged any information regarding the FT-4X Concept, but we can bet its interior will carry Toyota’s modern design styling. The styling might take after the RAV4, but have more spunk injected for a more youthful and adventurous appeal. Think surfer types or the “urban explorer” set as a potential niche.
Drivetrain
Anything smaller than the RAV4 will undoubtedly come with a four-cylinder. And knowing Toyota, it will be a naturally aspirated unit with variable valve timing and not enough power. Expect a six-speed automatic to ho-hum this crossover around town on a smooth cloud of anonymity – that is should Toyota continue with its current methods. We’d love to see something more exciting, say a turbocharged four-cylinder making above 300 horsepower backed by a manual transmission and a part-time 4WD or even a full-time AWD system. Now that’d be awesome. Subaru should be worried if that’s the case.
Conclusion
While there’s nearly no information to draw a conclusion about, we’re excited about Toyota’s FT-4X concept. A high-riding crossover with the guts to race rallies would be a tremendous product, especially if it hits showrooms with more intent than family-style grocery getting. The lower half of Toyota’s product lineup desperately needs an injection of adrenaline, and this might be the fix. TRD Pro Tacomas and 4Runners do wonders for the truck side of Toyota, but it’s high time we see that theme expand.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Press Release
Toyota will premiere its FT-4X Concept at 9:10 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, April 12, during the New York International Auto Show. Reserve your seat for the reveal at https://livestream.com/Toyota/NY2017. #NYIAS #FT4X