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TOYOTA'S FJ CRUISER RIDES INTO THE SUNSET
Toyota is set to bid a fond farewell to the FJ Cruiser, a retro-inspired rugged off-roader that became an instant classic when it was launched in Australia in 2011.
The FJ Cruiser will end its production run in August with Australians having bought more than 11,000 vehicles at an average of 180 a month – a considerably higher rate than originally expected.
Drawing its rugged DNA, inspiration and design cues from Toyota’s famed FJ40, the FJ Cruiser was developed as a basic, capable and affordable vehicle aimed specifically at serious off-roaders looking to push the limits.
Toyota Australia’s executive director sales and marketing Tony Cramb said the FJ Cruiser built on more than half a century of Toyota tradition in producing tough off-road vehicles.
“The FJ rides into the sunset as a vehicle renowned for its ability to traverse rugged outback trails while offering plenty of utility for all types of activities and being equally well-suited for everyday driving,” Mr Cramb said.
“It will leave lasting memories as one of the most iconic vehicles in Toyota’s rich SUV history, helping to bring renewed energy to the Toyota brand,” he said.
The thoroughly modern FJ Cruiser updated the classic FJ40 theme in a contemporary way. The front grille with two round headlights recalls the FJ40’s frontal styling. Other heritage design cues include the bonnet and wheel-arch contours and a rear-mounted and exposed full-size spare tyre.
The FJ Cruiser design offers plenty of functionality. Side access doors open 90 degrees in clamshell fashion for easy access to and from the rear seats. A swing-up glass hatch is incorporated into the side-hinged tailgate, opening independently and also useful for accommodating longer items.
The FJ Cruiser capped off its first year on sale in Australia by winning 4×4 Australia magazine’s 4×4 of the Year title. Judges said the FJ Cruiser proved to be the “real deal” with its “well-proven and robust mechanicals”.
It is powered by a 200kW, 380Nm 4.0-litre V6 petrol engine with five-speed automatic transmission, part-time 4×4, an electrically activated rear differential lock and switchable Active Traction Control technology to maximise off-road climbing ability.
FJ Cruiser has the best approach and departure angles in the Toyota 4WD range – 36 and 31 degrees respectively.
Local testing resulted in unique calibration of the heavy-duty all-coil suspension and power steering to suit Australian conditions, plus the fitment of 17-inch alloy wheels and 70-profile tyres.
Australia’s course-chip road surfaces prompted improvements to FJ Cruiser’s NVH that were adopted globally.
Safety features include six airbags, vehicle stability control, anti-skid brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, active front-seat head restraints and a reversing camera with the display located in the electro-chromatic rear-view mirror.
Other features include rear parking sensors, rear fog lamps, privacy glass, cruise control, air-conditioning, a premium steering wheel with audio controls, multi-information display, eight-speaker audio system with a CD stacker and central locking.
Satellite navigation became standard in early 2012. An upgrade in March 2013 boosted the FJ Cruiser’s “go anywhere, do anything” appeal by more than doubling its fuel range and adding an off-road cruise-control system, CRAWL.
Fuel capacity was expanded to 159 litres with the main 72-litre tank supplemented by an 87-litre sub-tank, providing a notional driving range of almost 1,400km*.
CRAWL is a “feet off” system that controls engine output and brake pressure to maintain low uniform speeds over severe or slippery terrain, allowing the driver to concentrate fully on steering.
Later in 2013, FJ gained newly designed seven-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels.
During its time in Australia, FJ Cruiser has been offered in a total of 13 colours including bright hues to reflect energy and vitality as well as solid, tool-like tones to highlight the vehicle’s tough image and terrain-conquering ability.
The final exterior colour palette is French Vanilla, Sandstorm, Ebony, Hornet Yellow, Red Fury, Retro Blue and Cement.
Offered in a single grade with a high level of specification, the FJ Cruiser is priced from $46,990. Metallic paint (Cement) is $550 extra.
FJ Cruiser is covered by Toyota Service Advantage capped-price servicing at a maximum of $220 per service.
Private Fleet Car Review: 2015 Toyota HiLux SR5 V6 Petrol
The Toyota HiLux SR5 sits at the top of the tree for the popular range; A Wheel Thing tested the 4.0L petrol engined four door version recently and was left with the impression that Ford, Holden, Mitsubishi etc shouldn’t be worried…
For a four wheel drive capable ute, a torquey engine should be the go. This is where diesels are ideal for this class of car and yes, there’ll be those that will consider off roading going through a puddle on their front lawn, therefore a petrol donk is the go.
Due to the high revving nature (3800 for peak torque of 376 Nm) and low gear ratios, the 4.0L V6 isn’t able to get the SR5 off the line all that quickly, needing something around 3000 plus to see something approaching alacrity…it wasn’t the thriftiest of things, as a result, with around 13.0L of its chosen 95 RON tipple per 100 km the end result from a 80 litre tank.
There’s 2000 kilos to move from the start, plus a 3000 kilo towing capacity, which makes the SR5’s lack of urge from the big V6 all the more a standout.
Toyota quotes 12.0L for a combined and a Range Rover HST (with supercharged V6 of just three litres capacity) beating 16.4, as in thirstier, for the urban cycle. Even a freeway run is quoted as 9.4L per 100 km. Peak power is just 175 kW at over 5000, by the way. Transmission is a six speed auto and that’s it (the 2.8L diesel option for the SR5 gets both manual and auto) and it’s mostly ok, smooth enough yet had a predilection for holding gear at around third or fourth for too long. 
Recent external facelift aside, with the somewhat protuberant nose and eyebrow LEDs, the interior needs a lift as well. No sunroof? All plastic interior? No HUD? A driver’s seat with electric adjustment as a $2k option, rather than included? Carpet mats, not rubber? No Blind Spot Monitoring? Single zone aircon?
You DO get a redesigned dash look, with a simple and clear layout under the binnacle, a seven inch touchscreen (which still looks like a last minute addition, but not as badly as the Lexus RX) with a user friendly menu system, Bluetooth audio, DAB radio (putting it ahead ahead of the Koreans, who, admittedly, lack an entrant in the ute field but none of their mainstream cars have DAB), push button start and decent dash dials although there’s no colour display. The tiller is adjustable for reach and rake however and there’s hints of an attempt to brighten the cabin, with brushed aluminuim highlights on the steering wheel spokes and driver’s side air vent. 
Having said that, the Triton and Ranger do feel as if their dash is of a more cohesive look, a point A Wheel Thing has noted about Toyota’s styling previously. For example, the electronically engaged four wheel drive system dial is awkwardly located near the drivers knee, isn’t terribly easy to see and potentially could be knocked by said knee. The top section of the dash also looks somewhat separate in the greater design scheme of things. But, again, a couple of little things like two 12V sockets and a 220V three pin socket are included.
There was also the need to duck the head upon entry and rear seat leg room was tight. That in itself was odd as the HiLux is one big unit. It’s 5.3 metres in overall length (the test car was the four door with tray) but has a 3085 mm wheelbase, shorter than most in its class.
With that amount of space between front and rear wheels, it appears that Toyota has prioritised the load space at the expense of the back seat, with a tray length (interior) of 1570 mm. Given the target aim of the SR5, well off tradie style that will hardly, if ever, utilise the off road credentials, a more family friendly space would be appropos.
Speaking of road credentials, either the tyres were underinflated or the suspension is softer than expected, as it seemed doughy, spongy, in the lower part of the ride and managed to also feel quite jiggly on uneven and undulating surfaces and, oddly, choppy on shopping centre parking speed humps . With the tyres fitted (265/60/18) and the ride quality being as squishy as it was, it wasn’t unusual for the nose to run wide in corners and slightly woolly steering didn’t help either.
In gear acceleration was…leisurely, requiring a hard right foot to see much happen on the speedo, although the noises from up front, under the steel (not alloy) bonnet, would infer otherwise.
As always, you’ll get plenty of peace of mind and safety in the form of three years warranty or 100000k, airbags, driver assist such as Hill Descent Control and diff locking. Part of the testing for the updated model included over 650000 kilometres of testing in Australia. You’ll also get ANCAP’s five star safety rating, diff lock for the rear, 279 mm clearance. Service intervals are six months apart or 10000 kilometres (Amarok, Navara, Ranger, for example, are 12 months or 15000 kilometres) with a capped cost of $180 per service for the first six.
At the End Of the Drive.
At just under $56k plus on-roads and premium paint at $550, which take it up to around $61700 for a private buyer, it’s starting to not look like the best value 4×4 ute around. The relative lack of comparable features, the ride quality, the economy and drive, the interior trim, if benchmarked against the rest, leave the HiLux SR5 looking flat and left behind.
To make up your mind about the 2016 Toyota HiLux SR5, with 4.0L V6 petrol engine and standard auto, go here: 2016 Toyota HiLux SR5
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Hyundai Elantra Active
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra was released in Australia in the first quarter of 2016. A sedan only throughout its history, and originally known as Lantra in Australia when first brought here, one of its design features continues into the 2016 Hyundai Elantra range. A Wheel Thing had a week getting to know the latest entrant, in Active spec.
The recent freshen up brings to the Elantra Hyundai’s corporate face, with the stand alone hexagonal grille plus a pair of chin mounted spoilers with airvents to the front wheel wells but now also adds in, at the rear in the tail lights, the squared off oval inserts linking the long nosed, short tailed, Elantra, to the long nosed, short tailed, flagship Genesis. The bootlid has a slight upward sweep, effectively creating a spoiler in the design, noticeable when seen in profile.
There’s redesigned headlights to complement the grille, including the now signature LED Daytime Running Lights or DRLs, in a sweeping, C shaped curve, on the outside on the cluster. Halogen driving lights are buried in each corner, inside the plastic for the air vents added.
In profile, the previously mentioned long nose/short tail is what has become the design signature; in effect, it’s almost a coupe look and manages to make the Elantra look bigger than it is. At just 4570 mm in length it still manages to cram in an astounding 2700 mm wheelbase, maximising interior space. Leg room is quoted as 1073 mm front and 976 mm rear, with 1427 mm and 1405 mm shoulder room, as a result.
Under the bonnet is a a frighteningly lacklustre 2.0 litre petrol engine. There’s a frankly pathetic 112 kW and 192 torques, with the latter achieved at 4000 revs and covering a range of just 500 rpm, from 3500. This here is the Elantra’s biggest failing, with the sole saving grace (performance wise) being the fuel economy for the highway. A Wheel Thing brimmed the tank before an overnight run to Canberra and back, with a best figure of just 5.9L per 100 kilometres consumed. Tank size? 50 litres. 
And it’s one of those that narrows at the bottom so the range drops quicker as fuel is consumed, once you reach 1/4 of a tank. Hyundai quotes 5.6L on the highway cycle, 9.8L for the urban and 7.1L combined for the manual, with the auto seeing 5.5L, 10.1L and 7.2L. Given the majority of sales would be for people living in the city, that urban figure would potentially see sub 500 kilometres per tank…
The trip to Canberra was undertaken with mostly cruise control engaged, specifically to see how the economy would work. At 110 kmh indicated, the rev counter hovered around 2000 or so. It also exposed flaws with the cruise control’s program, as it turned out. A certain speed was selected yet somehow the Elantra had issues with adhering to that, with variances of over five kmh and on the side of the “Excuse me sir, why were you speeding?”, most noticeably climbing and descending the slopes the highway has.
It would also hold a gear, around third or fourth, for too long, with revs around the 3500 mark being the norm. A prod of the go pedal was required in order to get the transmission to move back or forth. Using paddle shifts in the Active was out of the question, as the Active doesn’t have them fitted.
Cabin wise, the Active lacks pop, fizzle, a reason to draw eyeballs. Some of the layout and switch gear looks as if it’s been lifted from Kia’s Optima of three years ago. The centre stack, holding the seven inch touchscreen, (with apps including Apple CarPlay, with Android’s version due later in 2016) has a faint hint of bronze or gold in the aluminuim surround, whilst the switchgear has a satin finish. Ergonomics are a hightlight, with clear placement and lettering. The radio lacks RDS and also looks dated with a radio dial image when listening to AM/FM. There are Auxiliary inputs, however.
The steering wheel is lever operated for reach and tilt, the seats are manually operated and to get a comfortable driving position means ducking the head when using the sun visor, thanks to the steeply raked front screen. The seats themselves are comfortable enough, with a plain charcoal cloth trim in the Active and enough hip bolstering for most. There’s two cup holders in the centra console and a bottle holder in each door. 
There’s also a sizeable cargo space, hidden by the Elantra’s couple styling, of 458 litres. That’s getting towards large car territory and can be increased (with that 458 litres actually a tad smaller than the outgoing model due to the revised rear suspension) thanks to the 60/40 split fold rear seats. Oddly, the Active’s boot can NOT be accessed without either the key fob or a cabin switch, as there’s no opening button on the exterior at all.
The plastics are hard to the touch, with enough of a print variance to break up the styling. The driver sees a plain, simple, pair of dials for speed and revs, with a monochrome info screen bisecting them, showing range, consumption and distance covered.
What the Elantra does have is a very good ride. Again, Hyundai Australia and Hyundai Korea have worked solidly in providing a ride quality that is well and truly in there for class leading. Something like 50 different combinations were trialled, front and rear, for damper and springs, and it shows. A good test is finding an undulating road and seeing how quickly the rebound is damped out.
It’s sometimes a bit soft but that may have been the tyre pressure and yes, the rear did feel as if it hit the bump stops sometimes (with two in the rear seats and some luggage) however it’s a sweet, comfortable, very controlled and controllable ride. Effectively, there’s more poise than a driver in its target market will ever need to exploit.
Handling was very good, predictable, with understeer easily sorted by a prod of the go pedal to plant the nose and bring the Elantra back to a neutral line. There’s good weight to the steering and the nose tracks truly on variable road surfaces, again due to the well sorted suspension. 
Being in the small car class, the Elantra Active is shod appropriately, with 205/55/16 rubber From Hankook. There’s plenty of grip and pushed hard into very tight turns, there’s barely a squeal and no sensation of the running wide until the accelerator gets pushed harder. What was noticeable was the appreciable road noise on the coarse chip sections on the Hume, loud enough to overcome the audio and conversation levels. You’ll get lifetime capped servicing costs, unlimited kilometre warranty (or five years), a year’s worth of complimentary road side assist and a free firsts ervice at 1500 kilometres. You’ll also get the basics in regards to electronic safety, such as Traction Control, Stability Control, Hill Start Assist and four rear parking sensors plus there’s, surprisingly at this level, auto headlights.
At The End Of The Drive.
There’s word already of Hyundai adding the turbo engine to the range, for an Elantra SR. It needs it. Torque is what gets a car going and gets called upon for uphill runs; the Elantra desperately needs more torque. A larger fuel tank, even by ten litres, would go a long way to adding some peace of mind on the consumption stakes. In Active trim, it’s a staid, but functional interior and doesn’t really add anything to excite the eyes. Hyundai need to move with the others, audio wise, and add RDS to their head units plus redesign the screen look as well.
The cruise control issue was wholly unexpected and luckily not shown in the presence of police, not that there were many to be seen on the freeway between Sydney and Canberra for a long weekend holiday. The ride and handling, however, ease the pain, with A Wheel Thing feeling only barely tired from the three hours between Sydney and Canberra.
What you will get is possibly the best handling car in its class for the Australian market. There’s the Corolla, Mazda 3, Focus and Jetta to consider, but it’s a firm bet the Elantra will more than hold its own against them, and the others in the class.
Price wise you’re looking at just under $24K for the Active auto (a $2300 premium over the manual) plus on roads. It makes the Active good if not outstanding value BUT you do get a great handling and pretty looking car. Here’s the link for you to check out: 2016 Hyundai Elantra
Private Fleet Car Review: 2015 Lexus GS 450h & RX 450h
Toyota’s luxury arm, Lexus, has hit home runs with the GS 450h and RX 450h. Lusty power plants, seamless integration of the hybrid power systems, a stunning interior in the GS (with the RX losing points for the absurd design of the upper dash centre), a gorgeous exterior (again, for the GS, the RX is polarising for some) and plenty of standard equipment. There’s two models in the GS range, F Sport (tested) and Luxury, with the RX offering F Sport, Luxury and Sports Luxury. 
Both have a 3.5L V6 petrol engine plus the battery system. Both will operate in electric mode only up to around 30 kmh before the computer kicks in the petrol, even with the driver selecting EV via a button in the centre console. That’s a bit of a shame, frankly, as pure electric driving would extend the range of the petrol usage. Lexus quotes 6.3L of 95 RON from the 66 litre tank per 100 kilometres for the GS, but a surprising 5.7L/100 km for the RX…surprising because the kerb weight is 2210 kilos, 300 kegs heavier than the GS. No, I don’t get that either.
The GS matches the 215 kilowatt V6 to a battery system producing 147 kW and a handy 275 torques however limits peak power to a combined 254 kW. There’s 352 Newton metres from the V6 at a highish 4600 revs yet that low end oomph from the electric motor helps get the big car (1910 kilos kerb weight) to one hundred klicks in under six seconds. 
The RX goes for a detuned 193 kW V6, with the electrics offering (according to the website) just another 37 kW for a combined 230 kW maximum power. Maximum torque is 335 Nm, at 4600…the difference here is that the RX appears to use an “Atkinson Cycle” where the proverbial “suck push bang blow” is all accomplished during the one stroke of the engine.
To bustle that hustle there’s 356 mm front and 310 mm rear brake rotors on the F Sport version (there is also a Sports Luxury with 334 mm fronts) whilst the RX gets 328 x 18 front and 318 x 18 rear discs. The wheels vary depending on model; the GS F Sport has 235/40 front and 265/35 on 19s whilst the Luxury goes for 17s and 225/50s on each corner. Rolling stock for the RX are 20 inch alloys, with relatively narrow 235/55 rubber. 
The engine combinations fairly boot each car along from a standing start and make overtaking a blink and miss it affair. They’re superb highway and freeway cruisers, as a result, with the rapidity in overtaking making that act a safe option whilst easily loping along, quietly and stress free, at the designated speeds. Apart from the thrum of the V6, there’s little noise poking into the well appointed cabins, although the RX did have a sense of vibration from the driveline, as opposed to the silky smoothness of the GS.
The starting procedure is simple: get in, strap in, press the Start button and wait a moment until remembering the car is ready to go under electric power. Select Drive and see 100 kmh in around six seconds…both engines were audible in their starting but the engagement of them in the drive process was unnoticeable, for the most part, with the RX exhibiting the slightest of jolts.
Cabin wise, the GS was most definitely the pick of the two, largely because of the choice made in mounting the infoscreen in the RX in the upper dash looking as if it was an afterthought in the design process. Yes, it worked as expected but it really does look as if no planning to integrate the unit into the cabin design was undertaken. Ergomically, it’s just not as well laid out as the GS.
The GS, on the other hand, spoke volumes in regards to class and good looks. The dash design is swoopy, fluid, flowing with style and simply delicious to look at. Muted grey tones on the dash and doors, a slim looking yet curvy set of lines for the dash, the centre console supporting the left arm as the driver accesses the screen’s information via the mouse. The rear seat passengers benefit by having access to their own aircon and media controls via a centre fold out plus it also holds a tab for the electric rear window blind.
There’s supple leather, heating and cooling for the seats, a user friendly Head Up Display (HUD) for both, which also scored a mark against in the RX, as the buttons for the HUD, mounted on the lower right of the dash, were fairly and squarely hidden by the steering wheel. The layout on the centre console for the mouse and drive mode selectors also didn’t feel as ergonomically intuitive as the GS
A nice touch for both were the LCD dash dials inside conventional looking bezels; at the touch of the Sports/Sports + selector, they’d change colour and text inside without losing the sharpness of vision provided.
Vision all round for both was superb, with the SUV style of the RX raising the driver and passengers above traffic and giving a longer view. Both came with a full length glass roof and sun roof, with a fabric covering rolling back at the touch of a button. 
The exteriors vary, naturally, by quite a margin yet have a strong family look to them.Both have the sharply angled hourglass grille Lexus has endowed its range with, both have LED head and tail lights with the indicators lighting from the innermost section outwards. It looks great and is definitely eye catching.
The GS is a sleek, lithe looking beastie, at a long 4880 mm, rolls on a 2850 mm wheelbase and stands just 1455 mm high. Width is 1840 mm, about standard for this class, adding plenty of space inside. It’s a high beltline yet there’s plenty of vision, as mentioned, from the glass house, with a roofline that slopes deep into the rear quarters. The RX is also a big ‘un, at 4890 mm long, with a wheel base of 2890 mm and spreads 1895 mm wide. It’s a touch taller as well, at 1685 mm. The RX is a somewhat awkward looking machine in comparison to the slinky RX, with some odd creases in the front doors and a truly strange rear window line. The rear of the roof angles down sharply from the C pillar, finishing just a few inches above the tail light. It’s distinctive, if hardly cohesive. 
Both also score the usual unseen and hopefully unneeded electronic intervention programs.There’s also the suite of airbags including side curtain airbags (but no knee airbag?), pre-tensioning seat belts, and more electronics such Blind Spot Monitoring, Pre-Collision Alert, Lane Departure Alert and Tyre Pressure sensors. Both cars had superb road holding although the GS felt a touch floaty over some undulations at the top of the double wishbone’s suspension travel. The RX, with McPherson struts up front and trailing arm rear, also felt a little top heavy in longer sweeping turns, otherwise there’s a firm, taut yet supple when needed ride to be had from both. 
The GS particularly delighted in its pin point handling, the nose tucking into all corners with perhaps a touch of oversteer, if anything. The RX was neutral in all situations, in comparison. Warranty wise, Lexus offers you a 48 month or 100,000 kilometre coverage, with roadside assistance and even the paint covered for that time.
At The End Of The Drive.
If asked to choose one of the two to keep, A Wheel Thing would have no hesitancy in pointing towarsd the GS. By no means is the RX a bad vehicle, by no means, the preference here is simply towards the sedan for it’s shape, looks and, in this instance, a better looking interior. With prices from $120K upwards, Lexus has set their sights on the continentals and continues to fire shots across their bows and to great effect. For further details on each of the Lexus GS450h and RX 450h, click here: Lexus GS range and here: Lexus RX range
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