{"id":21459,"date":"2017-12-01T11:57:27","date_gmt":"2017-12-01T15:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=21459"},"modified":"2017-12-01T11:57:27","modified_gmt":"2017-12-01T15:57:27","slug":"rugged-toyota-concept-challenges-jeeps-wrangler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2017\/12\/rugged-toyota-concept-challenges-jeeps-wrangler","title":{"rendered":"Rugged Toyota concept challenges Jeep\u2019s Wrangler"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Toyota_FT-AC_rr\"<\/p>\n<\/div>

Los Angeles<\/i>\u00a0\u2013 Jeep isn\u2019t the only manufacturer that wants to take you to the Outback. Toyota wants a piece of the action, too.<\/p>\n

Just a day after Jeep\u2019s all-new rock-climbing Wrangler rocked the Los Angeles Auto Show, Japan\u2019s biggest automaker rolled out a four-door Wrangler clone called the FT-AC (short for \u201cFuture Toyota Adventure Concept\u201d).<\/p>\n

The FT-AC\u2019s off-road playbook reads like Wrangler 101: fore and aft skidplates, knobby tires, detachable fog lights, all-wheel drive, lockable four-wheel drive … a proposed hybrid drivetrain like the Wrangler\u2019s first-ever, 2.0-liter hybrid turbo-4.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to understand Toyota\u2019s interest. The Wrangler has sold some 5 million copies worldwide in its lifetime and established Jeep as\u00a0the<\/i>\u00a0alternative for a youthful, outdoors-conscious demographic. In a ute-crazed world, the Wrangler icon attracts buyers to the SUV brand as first-time buyers, then feeds them up the product pipeline to more expensive offerings like the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee as they age.<\/p>\n

Toyota isn\u2019t alone in Wrangler envy. Ford wowed the Detroit auto show earlier this year with news that it would bring back the rugged Bronco as a 2020 model.<\/p>\n

Like Ford\u2019s iconic Bronco, Toyota hopes to resurrect brand heritage. The FJ Cruiser (its FJ reminiscent of the Jeep CJ that inspired the Wrangler) was a truck-based, off-road rhino built by Toyota from 2006-2014. The well-received FJ enjoyed peak sales of more than 50,000 units a year before getting chewed up in the Great Recession.<\/p>\n

\u201cFT-AC reminds adventurers of all skill levels how remarkable the trip \u2014 not just the destination \u2014 can be,\u201d goes the pitch from the Toyota publicity machine. \u201cGoing for a paddle on the river. Climbing a favorite rock face. Hitting a trail on a mountain bike. FT-AC is experience-centric. It compels.\u201d<\/p>\n

The FT wraps its Wrangler-esque ambitions in a Toyota wardrobe. The bold face is similar to the Toyota Tacoma that has dominated mid-size pickup sales for the last decade. The concept\u2019s off-pavement capabilities suggest it might also be built on the Ridgeline\u2019s body-on-frame skeleton.<\/p>\n

The Adventure Concept packs versatility with LED fog lights that can be plucked from their pods and used as portable lights \u2014 or on a bicycle for night rides. Infrared cameras in the side mirrors can also be used to film vehicle \u2014 or personal \u2014 adventures. The beast sits high above 20-inch wheels, its body clad in extra armor for canyon adventures. Above is a safari-style roof rack to haul baggage and below are twin hooks if the driver gets too deep into treacherous terrain. Like any proper 21st<\/sup>century machine, the FT comes with GPS-location and WiFi.<\/p>\n

Although Toyota calls it a concept vehicle, it likely will go into production.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no coincidence then that FT-AC makes its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, in a city where much of the population escapes to the hills, deserts, or beaches for their much-needed weekend recharges after a long week of work,\u201d Toyota said.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also no coincidence the Toyota boasts of its alternative powertrain here, too. California is the most heavily regulated state for battery-powered vehicles and Toyota teases that the FT could have a \u201cno compromise,\u201d next-generation hybrid powertrain that blends fuel efficiency with rugged all-wheel-drive grunt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles\u00a0\u2013 Jeep isn\u2019t the only manufacturer that wants to take you to the Outback. Toyota wants a piece of the action, too. Just a day after Jeep\u2019s all-new rock-climbing Wrangler rocked the Los Angeles Auto Show, Japan\u2019s biggest automaker rolled out a four-door Wrangler clone called the FT-AC (short for \u201cFuture Toyota Adventure Concept\u201d). […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21459"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21459"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21459\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21460,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21459\/revisions\/21460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}