► Toyota FT-4X at New York
► ‘A casualcore’ soft-roader
► Part Tonka, part Toyota SUV
It only takes a passing glance to notice that the Toyota FT-4X unveiled at the New York International Auto Show is a heavily stylised concept car for the soft-roader of tomorrow.
Badged as a ‘Future Toyota Four-Wheel Drive Crossover’, or FT-4X for short, Toyota refers to it as a ‘casualcore’ SUV.
It’s aimed at millennials, who favour streetside posing over actual proper off-roading.
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Toyota FT-4X: the lowdown
The FT-4X Concept showcases a more playful side of Toyota’s TNGA C-platform, the Japanese firm’s new global architecture that already underpins sensible models like the Prius hybrid.
Here it’s reshaped – by the company’s US Calty design studio – to appeal to Generation Y city dwellers.
The FT-4X is designed to house a small-capacity four-cylinder engine, running through all-wheel drive and a selectable low-range transfer case (seemingly at odds with the ‘it won’t off-road’ vibe). Suspension is by MacPherson strut front and double-wishbones at the rear.
FT-4X: a retro pastiche design
There’s more than a passing nod to the rugged charm of Toyota’s past soft-roaders – especially the FJ Cruiser of yore.
Calty president Kevin Hunter said: ‘The Toyota FT-4X is not simply a concept where style meets function; it is a thoughtful, charming and engaging experience that adds real pleasure and convenience to the journey.
‘We focused on how a crossover vehicle can add fun and value to casual adventures both in and out of the city, thinking about how someone would use it, and what they would love to do with it.’
See all our news from the 2017 New York auto show here