Patent image filed in PH

It’s no secret that Toyota, despite its generous lineup of crossovers and SUVs, is still intent on filling the gaps in its lineup. Recently, they have been dipping their toes in the enthusiast 4x4 market with the design of the all-new Land Cruiser Prado.

Heck, there were even reports that Toyota wanted to badge-engineer Suzuki's very own Jimny. But we all know that having the LC badge will always pull a premium. And that’s why when the LC250 made its world debut, there was a shadowy silhouette of a smaller, yet boxier SUV. Now, we may have a closer idea of what the production model could look like.

A patent image of an unnamed SUV was filed in the World Intellectual Property Organization by Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, which translates to the Toyota Motor Corporation. Interestingly, the representative who filed the patent came from the Philippines. The patent image was filed as early as January 2024, but the patent was only published last March 2025.

By the looks of things, the SUV looks very close to the Compact Cruiser EV that was first shown back in 2021. The idea before was that the SUV is meant to be an electric FJ Cruiser successor, but of course, market reception and change in automotive trends may have made Toyota rethink its powertrain.

Recent rumors suggest that, unlike the Land Cruiser Prado that uses the TNGA-L platform, the compact SUV could be underpinned by the IMV-0 platform. Yes, the same one that the Tamaraw uses. Along with it is the use of the GD turbodiesel engines that power the Hilux and the Fortuner.

With those running gear and underpinnings, the compact SUV would definitely be cheaper to make than the LC250, and translate to a lower price tag. If this does happen, then the 5-seater compact SUV could possibly have a price tag that would sit between the Corolla Cross GR-S and the Fortuner GR-S. Specifically, we’re looking at the PHP 2.1 to 2.3 million market. That's indeed a very sweet spot to bring in a 4x4 SUV.

And the name? Well, we’re banking on Toyota to give it the “Cruiser” name. Perhaps, Land Cruiser Mini or FJ Cruiser? Either way, we’re excited about these developments. And for sure, other car brands are taking notice.

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