Today’s Brief: Toyota LandCruiser FJ lands, BMW eyes Tesla, Toyota bets hydrogen, plus a couple glorious oddities

That first coffee hit hard and so did the news. Fresh metal, tech gambles, a recall worth your time, and a story or two that smells like garage dust. Headliner? The Toyota LandCruiser FJ—finally, a compact off-roader that feels like it’s been tuned for real-life trails and supermarket car parks alike.

Toyota LandCruiser FJ: the “baby” Land Cruiser that actually means business

Toyota has officially shown the 2026 Toyota LandCruiser FJ, a smaller, squarer chip off the old block aimed at folks who like the idea of a Suzuki Jimny but want a touch more practicality and polish. Think upright glass, honest panel work, and that purposeful stance that says, “I’ll climb a fire trail and still squeeze into a city space without a three-point prayer.”

I’ve bounced Jimnys along rutted tracks and loved the way they feel like mountain goats in hiking boots. But on longer stints? You start wishing for a calmer ride and a bit more space for muddy boots and a proper cooler. If the LandCruiser FJ layers Toyota’s usual damping magic over a short wheelbase, it could be that sweet spot: playful off-road, civilized in town. The sort of thing you’d happily take to the office Monday and a river crossing Saturday.

Side tip: If you’re eyeing roof tents or bike racks, check accessory load ratings early. Compact off-roaders look burly, but the best setups come from matching rated rails and baskets with your weekend gear weight.

Toyota LandCruiser FJ vs urban-friendly trail toys

Chery’s transformable seven-seater and the Toyota LandCruiser FJ’s different mission

On the other end of the “weekend warrior” spectrum sits Chery’s “Transformable Multi-SUV” concept previewing the 2026 TiggoX. It’s a three-row family hauler with a cabin that reconfigures like it’s on stage crew duty—sliders, flat-folding sections, the lot. I’ve run a couple of three-row crossovers for school runs and camping trips; the difference between clever and clumsy often comes down to how quickly seats latch and unlatch with one hand while you’re holding a scooter with the other. If Chery nails the mechanisms, parents will applaud.

• Toyota LandCruiser FJ: compact footprint, authentic off-road intent, daily-friendly size
• Chery TiggoX (concept): seven seats, multi-configuration interior, family-first flexibility
• Use cases: tight city parking, weekend dirt roads, gear-hauling without going full-size

Did you know? Shorter wheelbases often feel more agile off-road but can pitch a bit on choppy highways. Good suspension tuning makes all the difference—something Toyota usually gets right.

EVs and hybrids: BMW’s next i3 aims high, Omoda turns up the volume

Remember the first BMW i3? Carbon tub, funky doors, city-car charm. The name’s coming back for 2026 as a proper electric sedan, and early whispers say BMW wants to beat the Tesla Model 3 on range. Ambitious, since a Model 3 can stretch to roughly 341 miles EPA in the U.S. When I last drove BMW’s i4 and i5, what stuck with me was their planted feel over broken pavement—quiet, sure, but with that reassuring BMW steering weight. If the new i3 Sedan pairs long legs with that polish, consider me interested.

Meanwhile, Omoda (yes, the youthful wing of Chery) has rolled out the O4 Ultra, a sporty-leaning hybrid that seems aimed at city dwellers who like their commutes with a side of zing. I haven’t lived with one yet, but the current crop of Chinese hybrids tends to deliver instant low-speed shove and the sort of seamless power handoff that makes creeping traffic feel—dare I say—almost fun. Almost.

• 2026 BMW i3 Sedan: battery-electric, reportedly targeting more range than Model 3, with driver-focused dynamics
• Omoda O4 Ultra: performance-tinged hybrid, likely big on urban punch and value
• Tesla Model 3: still the benchmark for charging network and range-per-dollar, though ride and cabin hush divide opinion

Quick compare: the new-wave sedan crowd

Toyota’s hydrogen push: a UK-built pickup doing the quiet hard work

Autocar put a spotlight on Toyota’s UK-built fuel-cell pickup program—the hydrogen Hilux prototypes essentially doing the dirty (and clean) groundwork for commercial hydrogen. Targets circling mid-300-mile range per fill and a Mirai-derived stack feel sensible. The appeal? When I ran a Mirai for a week, the serenity felt almost decadent—like driving in slippers through a library. The snag was infrastructure. Twice I queued at the one working station that day in LA.

If Toyota can lock in reliable hub stations (ports, utilities, councils), a fuel-cell truck makes a ton of sense for fleets. Fast refuels, predictable range even under load, no fiddling with public chargers that a forklift just blocked—ask any foreman how that goes. Hydrogen doesn’t need cheerleading; it needs use cases. A working pickup is exactly that.

• Fuel-cell Hilux prototypes assembled in the UK
• Refuel in minutes; range target around the mid-300s
• Best for centralized fleets with return-to-base schedules

Fun fact: Fuel-cell stacks work best when used regularly. That’s why fleet duty is such a natural fit—predictable cycles, predictable maintenance.

Porsche Panamera recall: worth a quick call

A new recall has been issued for the Porsche Panamera. If you’re an owner, pause the daily shuffle and call your dealer with your VIN. It’s quick, it’s free, and Porsche is typically tidy with loaners and turnaround. I clocked a few hundred highway miles in the latest Panamera this summer—utterly serene at speed, the sort of GT that tricks you into taking the long way home—so don’t let a letter sit on the kitchen counter. Get it fixed, then enjoy the car as intended.

• What to do: Call your Porsche dealer with your VIN
• Cost: Free under recall
• Tip: Book early; parts flow can pinch timing

Time-capsule treasures: a dusty hotel hoard and a 1970 Chevy cruiser

Two stories for the romantics. One: an abandoned luxury hotel with equally plush cars left behind—door handles untouched for years, dust thick as felt, interiors that still whisper of leather and cigar smoke. Whenever I walk into a true barn find, it’s the little things that land: a map to a restaurant that closed in the ‘90s, a valet tag still tied to the column stalk.

Two: a police department is selling a 1970 Chevy Suburban cruiser with just 18,000 miles. Eighteen. Thousand. You can practically hear the carb clear its throat on a cold start. I once bought an ex-municipal truck purely because the logbook read like a novel—every oil change, every bulb. If this Chevy is as honest as billed, it’ll make a brilliant parade piece or tow vehicle for a vintage track toy. Budget for hoses, brakes, and tires. Rubber ages even when odometers don’t.

What the Toyota LandCruiser FJ means in the real world

• Compact off-roader that won’t punish you on the commute
• Likely five-seat practicality without losing trail credibility
• Slots neatly between a Jimny’s charm and a Wrangler’s heft

Owner scenario: Friday night: parallel-park outside a tiny ramen spot without sweating the curb. Saturday: two mountain bikes in the back, dusty trailhead by 10 a.m., muddy boots tossed under the cargo cover by sundown. That’s the brief.

The takeaway

The Toyota LandCruiser FJ arrives with the right size and the right attitude; Toyota’s hydrogen pickup quietly fights the good fight where it counts. BMW wants to outrun Tesla on range, Omoda’s sharpening its hybrid elbows, and Porsche reminds us that even great GTs occasionally need a workshop date. Busy day, good day—and a promising one for anyone who likes their adventures compact, capable, and slightly dusty.

FAQ

• When will the Toyota LandCruiser FJ go on sale?
  It’s been unveiled with a 2026 target. Expect detailed specs and market timing as launch nears.
• Will the 2026 BMW i3 Sedan really beat the Tesla Model 3 on range?
  That’s the reported aim. Final EPA/WLTP figures will tell the full story.
• Can I buy Toyota’s hydrogen Hilux soon?
  Not yet. It’s a prototype program focused on proving the tech for fleets first.
• What should Panamera owners do about the recall?
  Call your Porsche dealer with your VIN, confirm coverage, and book the free repair.
• Will the Chery TiggoX keep its “transformable” interior tricks in production?
  Concepts preview ideas; expect a more practical version of the system in showrooms.