photos: Toyota Just in time for the Land Cruiser BJ’s 75th anniversary, Toyota will launch the long-rumored Land Cruiser FJ--a spiritual successor to the Tacoma-based FJ Cruiser--next year. WHAT IS IT? Although there had been some speculation (fueled by the electric Compact Cruiser concept  shown in 2022) that this new product might be an electrified BFI entry, that’s definitely not the case. Underneath is Toyota’s 21-year-old IMV body-on-frame platform that was originally de

Well, there are definitely some interesting surprises here in AutoPacific ’s latest study... I’m not surprised at the increased familiarity with Chinese brands. Between Jim Farley’s praise of Xiaomi and the ongoing EV sales battle between Tesla and BYD, stories about the Chinese brands are going beyond business columns and buff books. The increased interest in buying a Chinese vehicle does come as a bit of a surprise, as I still hear plenty of concern--at least here in the

photo: Toyota Can Toyota break into the ultraluxury space dominated by Rolls-Royce and Bentley? They think they can, with plans to spin off the nearly sixty-year-old Toyota Century nameplate into a separate brand (not unlike what Hyundai did with Genesis). We’ll see a dramatic coupe concept at the Japan Mobility Show in a couple of weeks--and perhaps learn a little more about how they plan to pull this off--but, until then, a few points to ponder... Toyota has already tried

It appears Stellantis’ new CEO isn’t wasting any time fixing up the company’s North American portfolio. The announcement yesterday of a $13B investment and five new models raises some interesting questions... 🔸 Next-gen Dodge Durango to be built in Detroit This confirms what was announced back in January, and so is the least surprising bit of news here, and suggests the Durango will continue to be twinned with the Grand Cherokee. With the next-gen Grand Cherokee announced as