Hi there Toyota Corporate, I'm very interested in your 2012 FJ Cruiser. The problem I'm having is the bad gas mileage, your FJ current design gets. 16 Town/20 HWY that SUCKS!
First, as your aware gas prices are climbing ($4.00+) and will probably will keep going up. I have done some research and found that Toyota makes a really efficient clean burning diesel engine for Thailand and Europe. The reference for that engine is a D4-D, 1KD-FTV, it is a 3.0 (Turbo Charged 2982 cc) offered in the new 60 year anniversary model 2011 Land Cruiser, only being marketed in Europe. The performance specs you can look up but I think they came out with the original engine in 2006 but it has been updated this year (2011). The point being, that with very little effort Toyota could produce a 2012 or 2013 vastly improved Diesel FJ that could run in the 25 city/35 Hwy MPG range and offer an improved torque range, over the current version, to the outdoors enthusiasts with realistic and substantial every day fuel savings. I think the latest version of the D4D Diesel motor meets the Euro 5 emission standards and produces 190 HP with 420 Nm Torque. The new particulate filter system (updated 2011 version) works wonderfully on the 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser. If you wanted to bump-up performance you could easily do it by adding a 3" exhaust system to the D4-D Diesel and t-week your chip controlled fuel/air chip settings. This would work so wonderfully for a New 2012 Diesel FJ and improve the FJ's performance and popularity over night. If your still uncertain, you could offer it as a special order and see what the demand is. My thoughts are that the American and Australian markets would suck them up like a hoover vacuum. Toyota couldn't keep up with the demand in either market.
Second, issue is the transmission/transfer case set-up. The FJ 6MT transmission is desirable due to the full time or All Wheel Drive (AWD) feature. Why can't Toyota offer the Auto Transmission folks a AWD with 3 gear ranges? If it had a standard high range (H), a low range (L) and a extra-low (LL) range setting, it would be so excellent! This would be a major selling point. Seems Toyota did offer an automatic AWD with a high and low range in the new 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser. Also the Toyota Highlander comes in AWD. Seems in the off road environment moving through bad terra-forma, crawling over rocks, or any 4 wheeling situation would be vastly improved if the AWD system had 3 ranges to work with. AWD Diesel FJ would be way more popular than a standard 4 wheel drive model, the not getting stuck because the 4 wheel drive (2 drive tires) can't get traction, would be a wonderful advantage. Good mileage and in unstoppable AWD in 3 gear ranges. WOW! That would be a mega selling point don't you think? I sure think so. AWD in an automatic transmission FJ Diesel that gets 25/35MPG would make me go buy one today.
Third, I think changing the tires and wheels would help with the ground clearance problem. Also lifting the body such that the front (3 inches) and rear (2 inches) so the vehicle is level, would be good. It would give better overall handling and a better appearance. The setup I would pick is the 18 inch Toyota FJ Cruiser Trail Teams Special Edition BLACK KMC XD Series ROCKSTAR Rims, and the BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM 2 tires size 37X12.50R18( 939x317, 37.0x12.5 ) 123Q.
Fourth, is the driver and passenger front seats. They aren't very comfortable. Can you provide an improved adjustable seat? (Look at the 2011 VW TDI Jetta for ideas (if necessary), they did a good job and have a interesting height adjustment system.) Especially for the lumbar support, and having a height adjustment would be excellent. Or at least incorporating a seat that gives better protection to the driver on ruff roads. I'm 6'-4" and I have long legs, so I find the seats in the FJ's to be a disappointment and extremely uncomfortable. Just some minor changes would improve it so much!
Fifth, could you suggest bringing the New 2012 /2013 Diesel FJ's out in the Bright Red color or Bright Emerald Green. The Voodoo Blue was very nice, eye catching. Keeping the Voodoo Blue available as a color choice on future FJ's would be wonderful too. The Brick Red color sucks! The orange cone yellow sucked. Army Green was fair. Bright Yellow was good. The Carvery Blue was fair. Overall dull, drably colors on vehicles that cost 25-30K won't be very popular. Step up the game a little, you think? I think so. The Voodoo Blue ones always catch my eye and primarily drew my interest to the FJ design.
If Toyota wanted to improve the size of the SUV market they have here in the USA, just these few changes would do that. If you could make your product cost less than your competitors, while still offering more standardized features, like these noted above, that would also create momentum in the market in your favor. Why can't Toyota be the first to do the USA a solid, and provide a 2012/2013 Diesel FJ that gets 25 city/35 HWY MPG for the outdoors man. Offering a Diesel FJ for the same price as the Gas Motor FJ, would also be very cool. Also the Cold Weather Plugin for the Oil Pan/Water Heater and Tow Package with the Square Hitch having both a circle plug (Electric Brake with a brake controller system integrated into the FJ Dash) and the Std Square Plug should both be on the vehicle and be included as standard equipment. Outdoor folks tow boats, snow machines, campers, trailers and other items. If Ford can do it on their F150 4X4's I know Toyota can do it too.