What's the news?
This chunky number is the Future Toyota Adventure Concept, or FT-AC, and it's a lifestyle SUV that can be powered by either a petrol engine or a hybrid drivetrain. It had its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Resplendent in Prospect Green with Fortress Grey accents, the FT-AC's 'bold and daring design' is said to reflect the 'confident spirit' of Toyota's existing SUVs and commercial vehicles. There's certainly no difficulty in imagining a slightly toned-down version of the FT-AC on sale alongside the C-HR, for instance, so could we be looking at a future Toyota RAV4? Let's hope so.
For now, the facts pertaining to the FT-AC are these - it's supposed to be a proper off-road adventure vehicle. If you're a keen canoeist, or trail-riding mountain-biker, or a rock-climber, this is the car for you. It sits on 20-inch wheels with all-terrain tyres, while it wears plenty of obvious body protection, as you can see.
There's some interesting detailing on it, too, like removable fog lights that can be used as portable lamps, a safari-style cargo roof-rack system with LED marker lights at its front corners (which can provide ambient lighting around the FT-AC, brighten the trail ahead or even act as a flash for infrared cameras embedded in the side mirrors) and twin recovery hooks, which, er... well, they kind of insinuate that Toyota isn't 100 per cent confident owners will avoid getting the FT-AC stuck.
Never mind; there's more to consider here. Like an integrated WiFi hotspot, geolocation capabilities, rear-facing LED lights on the roof rack that can be controlled by a mobile device and an integrated rear-mounted bike rack. Those cameras in the door mirrors are, like the front fogs, also removable.
Toyota says the FT-AC could be powered by either a petrol engine or a next-generation hybrid powertrain; it hasn't specified the capacities or outputs of either, though. Either way, the motive power would be linked up to torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, with variable terrain-response settings and four-wheel lock functionality all aiming to ensure those twin recovery hooks will be redundant...
Anything else?
Jack Hollis, group VP and general manager for Toyota USA, said: "FT-AC is perfect for those outdoor enthusiasts who want to dial up the adventure on their weekend getaways. No matter the roads, the activities, or the people, FT-AC sparks authentic fun and conversation."