As recent as October 10, Toyota applied for a filing to trademark the Toyota FT-4X. There is nothing specifically interesting about this filing except the 4X part. This part of the designation means that Toyota should be hard at work on a new off road vehicle that might be perfect for the market to take over a spat that’s been vacant for some time now. This space in the market is the one that was vacated by none other than the Toyota FJ Cruiser which was one of the most admired and loved vehicles on the market.

How long has the FJ Cruiser been gone? It’s only been off our market since 2014, but the actual production of the vehicle didn’t end until August of this year. While it was discontinued here in 2014, the vehicle has continued to have a loyal following in Australia where there is much more need for the vehicle in open spaces where some still have to cross wild terrain in a vehicle that will get them where they need to go. Even though production has literally just ended a couple months ago it seems that Toyota is preparing itself to make a new version of this vehicle.

The reason we know it will be a new version of the FJ Cruiser, or at least suspect it, is because of the filing of the trademark name. The FT part of the name means future Toyota and that has been used to give us the Scion FR-S and Toyota 86 which when it was filed was filed as the FT-86 and we already believe the FT-1 will be used to give us the new Supra successor. This only stands to reason that the FT-4X will be the FJ Cruiser that will be the next iteration of the vehicle.

Why do we think the FJ Cruiser and not a new SUV for the market? The reason for this thought process is simple; Toyota has a huge lineup of SUVs already that give us the full gambit of what we want to drive. Since the FJ Cruiser has been deleted from the market, this is a reasonable consideration for the next model to come back as a 4X. Not only is this a reason for this line of thinking, we want the FJ Cruiser back in all its glory to give us the off road brute we want from Toyota.

Yes, there are other Toyota SUVs that are capable on the trails and can handle rocks and trees with the best of them, but the FJ Cruiser was the only one that was specifically designed for the off road areas of the world. It would be similar in feeling if the Jeep Wrangler were suddenly gone from the market of vehicles that offer the off road benefits we love to enjoy on the trails of the world.

Another reason for this to come back is the competition that’s heating up with the upcoming return of the Ford Bronco. Toyota has to be able to counter this play in their own way; don’t they?