One in every six Toyota FJ Cruisers sold in Canada is sold in British Columbia.
That’s a pretty impressive figure.
With an avid off-road community, whether in the Lower Mainland or elsewhere in B.C., we know a good and capable vehicle when we see one.
When Toyota decided to unveil its Trail Teams Special Edition FJ Cruiser at the Vancouver International Auto Show, it wasn’t by accident.
Stephen Beatty, vice-president of Toyota Canada, points out: “Because the off-roading community is so strong in B.C., it made sense for us to bring it to the Vancouver show and do the reveal here.”
Sitting pretty on its stand, adorned in its Heritage Blue paintwork, the FJ continues to offer what people are looking for in a vehicle that can go straight from the parking lot into the mud. After all, it is touted as the toughest and most capable FJ ever.
The Trail Teams Special Edition of FJ will have a limited production in Canada and only 150 will be available.
“Every vehicle has its natural life cycle,” Beatty continued. “FJ is coming to the end of its life. But because it is iconic and because it evokes the old LandCruiser, we thought it was important to build one last really special edition, name it Heritage Blue, and of course, put on all the bells and whistles.”
Part of those bells and whistles include BF Goodrich all-terrain tires, off-road roof lights with air dam, off-road rock rails, matte black bumpers, matte black door handles, matte black exterior mirrors, a white front grill surround, unique Trail Teams Badges, a colour-tuned interior trim, a polished black shift and 4WD selector knobs, a cargo net and clearance and backup sensors.
“It’s a fun vehicle and it just has a spirit of adventure about it that we think really represents the B.C. market,” Beatty added.
The FJ is powered by Toyota’s four-litre, six-cylinder engine and produces 260 horsepower and 271 lb.-ft. of torque. It has an MSRP of $41,925 for the six-speed manual and the automatic transmission version has an MSRP of $43,165.
Another important reveal at the VIAS 2014 came in the form of the brand’s popular Camry sedan — the hybrid version.
The demand for a sporty looking four-door with the efficiency of a hybrid is growing.
It seemed appropriate to marry the two concepts and come up with the Camry Hybrid SE Special Edition.
It is immediately recognizable by its full-skirt package, rear spoiler, sport-style grill and other exterior details. Inside, the cabin receives unique front sport seats and special sport fabric, a power adjustable driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, aluminum scuff plates and more.
“The Camry Hybrid is our top-selling hybrid,” Beatty said.
“Canadians have liked the combination of value and comfort and overall styling of the Camry Hybrid. But the interesting thing is, it sells to a younger buyer than the conventional Camry.
“Because it is a younger buyer, we also wanted to bring some more evocative styling to it.”
The SE trim of Camry is not a new concept. It has been available on both the four- and six-cylinder versions of the gasoline-powered sedan. But it hadn’t been available on the hybrid.
“Here in B.C., one out of every three Camrys sold is a hybrid. Again, why did we choose the Vancouver auto show for its reveal?
“We have high hopes for it,” Beatty said. “We think it combines the fashion-forward styling and sportiness of the SE, but it also makes a lot of sense because it’s a step up in power and performance from the four-cylinder SE and yet you can buy it for the less than the price of a six-cylinder SE.” the Camry Hybrid SE has power, Beatty added, affordability, better fuel efficiency (than the six-cylinder) and low emissions.
“It seems like the right package, particularly here in B.C.”
The 2014 Camry Hybrid SE has an MSRP of $29,540.hiftinggearsgirl@gmail.com
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