We still mourn the demise of the Toyota FJ Cruiser, which ceased production in August, and was one heck of a capable off-roader that was also tastefully peppered with retro styling cues to pay homage to the iconic FJ40 series Land Cruiser.
However, the Japanese automaker has recently filed an application to trademark the name “FT-4X”, as reported by AutoGuide. This has led to speculation that Toyota is indeed planning a successor. This might well be the case, but it’s the only indication so far that they were even interested a follow up.
The filing was timestamped at October 10th, 2016, and will certainly make for a welcome the return of a true Toyota off-roader, especially with the Ford Bronco slated to be resurrected for a possible 2020 debut and the next-generation Jeep Wrangler around the corner.
Whatever this new model could be, it very likely won’t make to production as the FT-4X. Toyota uses the FT prefix (which stands for Future Toyota) to define it’s concept vehicles that are given a production trajectory.
Such examples are the FT-86 concept that foreshadowed the 86 coupe as well as the FT-1 concept which many saw as a precursor to the upcoming sports coupe currently being co-developed with BMW that many suspect will be called the Supra upon launch.
Hopefully Toyota will shed more light on their plans and reveal exactly what future model this FT-4X name is a placeholder for.
For more on Toyota vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
