Currently reading: Future Toyota Adventure Concept points to high-tech SUV future

SUV concept majors on tech and off-road ability; it features removable cameras and lights and can livestream videos of journeys online

Toyota has created this Future Toyota Adventure Concept to show how a high-tech SUV can be used to support active lifestyles.

The one-off model, on display at the LA motor show and also referred to as the FT-AC, applies Toyota design language to a rugged, off-road-capable platform that features removable infrared cameras, lights that can be attached to bicycles and wi-fi connectivity.

This tech enables the car to be linked to a user’s smartphone, tablet or laptop, to transfer journey footage or livestream it directly to social media. Toyota North America vice president Jack Hollis said this makes the FT-AC “perfect for those outdoor enthusiasts who want to dial up the adventure on their weekend getaways”.

Toyota ftac concept 14

In order to enhance the FR-AC's off-road abilities, it features skidplates to protect its underside, wheel arch protectors and off-road tyres wrapped around 20in wheels. There are also roof racks and a retractable bicycle rack.

Power comes from a petrol engine of an unconfirmed size, but Toyota said that the FT-AC could also accommodate a hybrid powertrain. Drive is sent to all four wheels with torque vectoring technology, which can independently control each wheel to enhance traction and off-road performance.

The car is described as a design experiment, but it also signals intent for Toyota to produce more SUV models or variants. The brand’s decision to reveal an SUV concept in LA comes as no surprise; its Toyota RAV4 is one of the best-selling SUVs in the US, where it sells six different SUV models.

By comparison, it sells just three SUV models, the Toyota C-HR, RAV4 and Land Cruiser, in Britain, despite SUV sales now representing a quarter of the market here.

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Deputy 30 November 2017

Connected?

Sounds all very connected until you realise that Toyota strategically has decided not to use Google traffic data, which is about the best there is. So this SUV will still be stuck in traffic while others avoid the jams!