Toyota Tj Cruiser concept is a minivan for the SUV set – Roadshow

Minivans are great cars for families and those with active lifestyles, but they also carry a stigma that’s hard to beat. Toyota found a way around this by merging a minivan’s best qualities with an SUV body.

The Toyota Tj Cruiser concept, set to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in October, blends vans and SUVs in an interesting way. The design is on the SUV side, with chunky fenders and a whole bunch of hard angles. It still carries a bit of minivan aesthetics by way of the flat roof and seemingly seamless window line.

Nothing will stop me from calling this the Toyota TJ Hooker.

Toyota

The interior is like the inside of a box — spacious with minimal intrusions. Every seat (except the driver’s, obviously) can be laid flat in the floor, so it can accommodate items up to about 10 feet in length. There are tie-downs all over the place, and the front passenger seat can flip its cushion up for a smaller storage cubby.

The rear hatch opens wide while minivan-style sliding doors hang out on both sides, giving the driver a whole bunch of open space for easy cargo access, no matter where it is.