After hearing about this, I couldn't help but post up my observation of what I think might happen. It's definitely not backed by anything but market observation. As people move away from SUVs as family vehicles and more towards Cars and Wagons with better mileage, we might see the FJC as we know it to be disappear along with the RAV4 and Highlander to free up space for Corrollas and Camry and Avalons on Toyota's production lines and the FJC redesigned to be even more of a Niche vehicle slotting into competition with the Wrangler even more than it already is and the 4Runner going a little bit more 4x4 on us. The Sequoia is here to stay, and is marketed more towards people who would buy Suburban/Yukon XLs and Expedition ELs/Excursions (used) or even Durangos. The thing is, people are viewing even Crossovers like the RAV4 and Highlander as being big and fuel guzzling. And as was stated previously, they're like full-size trucks. People who're going to buy them are buying them because really need/want them, and nothing else will suffice. You're going to see the prices on Wranglers go up by quite a bit as well for the same reasons. They're NOT family vehicles, so Mr. and Mrs. Jon Doe won't buy them, but Mr. and Mrs. Outdoors will so they can take their families out to see the country side. What I'm thinking is this is the approach Toyota is going to take, and market their Venza more as a Wagon version of the Camry (which it is) because it's lower to the ground, more fuel efficient, and fairly spacious. But the FJC and the vehicles on the Prado platform (GX, Runner, Prado, Tacoma, HiLux, FJC) will probably go even more utilitarian on us here in the US but might be seen as more family oriented in other parts of the world. We'll probably see an FJC like the Wrangler. 2 and 4 door options with possible soft tops. And a Live axle up front is a long shot, but still a probability. Overall, we're seeing a massive shift in the way the Motor Industry is thinking about making the most off of us consumers. And they're seeing $$$ signs everywhere that surrounds the words Hybrid, MPG, Economical, Low operating costs. Basically, we're seeing what happened with the Oil crisis' in the 70s, but on a larger scale as it now effects the entire motoring planet.
In summary, here's what I think the Toyota SUV Line up will look like by 2015:
Compact - FJC 2 and 4 door, off road oriented, 4-6 seaters, possible rag tops.
Intermediate - 4Runner, 4 door wagon body, mildly off road oriented, 5 - 8 seaters, decent towing, something like the 80 series. Comfortable, good off the pavement.
Large - Sequoia, 4 door long wagon body. Decent off road, heavily oriented to an outdoorsy family w/possible boat or horse trailer towing requirements. Huge towing capacity, massive interior, comfortable. 8+ seats.
Flagship - Land Cruiser, the latest and greatest in off road tech. 5 - 8 seaters, great towing, not as long as the Sequoia, call boy for all your latest gadgets, platform sharing with Sequoia to keep it profitable. Low production numbers, something like 1/10th of the platform's life cycle. Highest performance engine options. Luxury, off pavement performance, and definately the most expensive Toyota in the USA & Canada.
