Toyota is in the midst of an all-out, no-holds-barred game of catch-up in the electric vehicle space. The automaker has promised a slew of all-electric new products by 2030, with many arriving sooner, and today it started previewing what some of those vehicles might look like. In between the expected—an EV sedan, lots of EV crossovers, yawn—was a new Pickup EV concept truck(!) and this, the Compact Cruiser Concept. It might take only one look at the little SUV to see why it stands out.
If your first thought upon glancing at the Compact Cruiser is “love child of the Ford Bronco and FJ Cruiser,” then you’re not alone. The Toyota concept is a boxy, small 4×4 (or, at least, we assume it’s four-wheel drive) with butch detailing, funky flourishes, and chunky all-terrain tires poking from each corner. It seems roughly Bronco Sport-sized, so if its capability even vaguely matches its off-road looks, it would make a natural competitor to the Ford, which is among the only truly off-road-able small SUVs you can buy.
Of course, were Toyota to build this Compact Cruiser as previewed here, the SUV would be electric. So maybe that precludes direct competition with the gas-only Bronco Sport, but, hey, the Toyota would stand out either way—name another affordable, small, off-road-oriented EV SUV. We’ll wait.
For the full story, check out this article from Motor Trend.
