Toyota will reveal this boxy Tj Cruiser – that looks like a cross between a panel van and a SUV – at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month.
The fact that this vehicle does look somewhat like a giant toolbox on wheels is no coincidence, as according to Toyota, the “Tj” stands for ‘toolbox of joy.’
A toolbox was most likely the design inspiration for this practical machine although there is also a vague resemblance to the Japanese automaker’s FT-4X concept, unveiled at the New York Motor Show.
From a practical point of view, all the seats except for the driver’s seat can fold down, creating a hard and flat surface that can take cargo up to 3m long. The rear doors slide open and the back of the seats have been coated with a scratch resistant paint, as have the bonnet, fenders and roof of the vehicle.
Inside the squared off look continues with the rectangular steering wheel, with a horizontal rectangle functioning as the spokes.
Toyota says that if it goes into production, it will ride on the TNGA platform that currently underpins the C-HR and there will be an option of front-wheel and all-wheel drive. Propelling the ‘toolbox of joy’ will be a “2.0-class engine + hybrid system.”