NEW YORK, April 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- It's only
natural. In the busyness of city-based work life there emerges a
growing urge to "get away." For millennial-aged professionals
confined to city limits, oftentimes these getaways are unplanned,
and are of the casual, less extreme kind. (No time for summiting a
mountain – a drive to the scenic point will do!)
Enter the completely revolutionary Toyota FT-4X Concept – or,
"Future Toyota"-Four-Wheel Drive Crossover – that today took the
New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) by storm.
It's a four-wheel drive toolbox penned by Toyota's Calty Design
Research Inc. in Newport Beach,
California. With its long list of unique functionalities and
a Rugged Charm compact design, the FT-4X is the seamless
conduit of popular Casualcore – rather than hardcore –
outings by anyone, anytime.
"As designers, we're investing deep thought into the emotional
connection with our cars," said Calty President, Kevin Hunter. "The Toyota FT-4X is not simply a
concept where style meets function; it is a thoughtful, charming
and engaging experience that adds real pleasure and convenience to
the journey. We focused on how a crossover vehicle can add fun and
value to casual adventures both in and out of the city, thinking
about how someone would use it, and what they would love to do with
it."
THE EMERGENCE OF CASUALCORE EXPLORATION
A shift from multiday, extreme, high-effort excursions to brief,
unplanned, casual adventures is an overwhelming reality for
Generation Y. Millennials are fond of the outdoors, but operate
almost always indoors. They enjoy venturing into to new
neighborhoods and national parks, but hardly plan ahead. Their
countless interactions on social media bring inspiration. It is the
busyness of their nonstop daily lives that pushes them past the
precipice of "liking" a digital snapshot into the realm of creating
their own, in reality. Their adventures begin curbside, in a
parking structure, or in the depths of an underground
garage.
Dinner on the beach during a beautiful evening; tailgating with
friends while listening to music; visiting a favorite trailhead for
a run or dog walk; settling next to a campfire for an overnight
desert stay – these are the types of quick escapes that an
increasing number of young, career-minded urbanites hold dear.
Always ready to go? They are – and so is the Toyota FT-4X.
RUGGED CHARM PERSONA
Casualcore adventures originate in the city. Knowing this,
Calty's designers instituted a Rugged Charm ethos when creating the
FT-4X. Rugged Charm places value on simplicity, capability,
durability, and Toyota lineage. Furthermore, it takes into account
compact, sturdy dimensions, and a charming ubiquitous tactility of
grips, handles, and controls (the notion of feeling a satisfying
mechanical reaction to a user's input).
"You can really tell that we had a blast designing the FT-4X
because it looks fun to use and fun to drive," described Calty
Studio Chief Designer, Ian
Cartabiano. "I love this idea of mechanical satisfaction
because while we're living in today's digital world, we took
something that's based on physical movements and made that a large
part of what this vehicle is. We want everyone to interact with
this car and feel a sense of delight and excitement."
Designers approached their work uncharacteristically. Rather
than begin their styling processes at the nose or profile, they
began at the rear. Why? In their months' long research, they
noticed that basecamp for Gen Y explorers was oftentimes the
destination itself. Cherished experiences were had in and around
this basecamp, usually at their vehicle's tailgate or hatch.
Small, yet strong outdoor activity gear inspired the FT-4X's
expressive looks. For its exterior, stylists imbued an X
Theme throughout the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA)
C-Platform. Imagine this: At the center of a vertical X (which bows
outward) is a door handle, or, in essence, the widest part of FT-4X
(71.7 in.). This places the broadest area near the driver and
passenger, creating a natural protective zone. At the rear, the
bowed vertical X can be seen at the rear hatch, again placing the
door handle at the center and creating a protective space.
Now, imagine another X, but this time horizontal, or flat,
placed at the top and bottom of the vertical Xs. At each of the
four corners of the bottom X is an 18-inch wheel wearing a custom
225/55R-18 Goodyear® All-Season tire. The FT-4X stands 63.9 inches
tall, is 167.3 inches long, and has a wheelbase of 103.9 inches.
Its form emanates simple sturdiness front to back, top to bottom.
It's X Theme abound.
The rear hatch is a modern engineering marvel. Called
Multi-Hatch, it opens two ways: horizontally in Urban Mode, and vertically in Outdoor Mode.
Urban Mode splits the hatch in half
and makes for easier curbside gear loading when clearance is
limited. Outdoor Mode opens the one-piece hatch upward, creating an
impromptu shelter from the elements. The door's design also
incorporates a satisfying mechanical touch: a rotatable handle that
users turn to select its opening mode. The deeply set handle is
capable of being gripped by a gloved hand, say, when loading or
unloading while snowboarding, or when out-and-about on a wintry
day.
Twin red hooks sit below the Multi-Hatch within the rear bumper.
These high-visibility reflective pieces are secure anchor points
for vehicle recovery and the tying down of loads, if desired. Big
item hauling is simplified with a reinforced flat roof, plus, a tie
down hoop placed at each of the roof's corners. Extra utility is
provided by power supply outlets set at the base of the tie down
hoops. Users can power a variety of campsite electronics and
lighting or roof rack accessories thanks to the convenient
outlets.
Generous approach and departure angles add to the FT-4X's
prowess on a variety of paved and unpaved paths. Wide black-painted
over-fenders lend a tough look to the exterior and engulf the beefy
Goodyear® rubber. A vertical Picture Window set above the driver's
side rear fender pays homage to the classic version brandished by
Toyota's iconic Pickup Xtracab truck and first-generation 4Runner
sport-utility vehicle. The window glass is removable and
interchangeable, allowing for owners to personalize their FT-4X
even further with multiple opaque color or tinted glass options.
The rear door handle is discretely placed fore of the vertical
window and high above the beltline, much like it is on the current
Toyota C-HR.
Sculpted rocker panels at the lower portion of the doors enhance
underbody protection and durability when venturing off the beaten
path. And whenever the FT-4X does find some heroic scenery, a
GoPro® HERO5 Session™ camera built into the driver's side rearview
mirror can capture it all.
Of course, the X Theme finds its way up front too. At the
center of the nose's vertical X is a classic, extra-large embossed
TOYOTA logo that's flanked by bright LED headlamps. Like the rear,
reflective tie down hooks set in the lower bumper add to the
crossover's looks and deftness. Another nod to classic FJ Land
Cruisers and Pickup models of yesteryears: the recognizable
horizontal orientation of the FT-4X's grille, headlights, and
bumper.
THE MULTI-TOOL CABIN
Proceeding from work to play, indoors to outdoors, without
advanced preparation can be a recipe for forgetting some essential
equipment. No worries (as Gen Y-ers might say)! The FT-4X is a
rolling gear box. Not only is the interior's concept that of a
large open space having plenty of easily accessible storage for
basic equipment, but it is basic equipment itself. Passengers can
easily identify the space's purpose based on coloring, as blue
classifies closed storage, while orange indicates open storage.
On the inside of the Multi-Hatch with rear Picture Window are
twin boxes – one warm, the other cold. They're designated for a
number of functions, such as the temporary stowage of snacks, or
the warming and cooling of gear (i.e. gloves, blankets, ice packs,
etc.).
The cabin is sectioned into threes: Clean Zone, where the front
passengers sit, and where rugged floor mats and door sills were
inspired by Japanese sunoko slatted wood flooring; Wet Zone,
also characterized by all-weather mats (where passengers can stow
damp swimsuits/snow clothing or muddy boots) and located just
behind the front seats, as well as below the rear second row bench
seat; and, Rear Cargo Zone.
The Rear Cargo Zone's floor lays completely flat and features
topside tracks for securing cargo. A deep storage compartment is
hidden underneath, and can be accessed by sliding the floor out
toward the Multi-Hatch, transforming the floor into a tray. Folding
the second row bench seat down extends the floor's capacity
considerably. Red tie down hooks line the sides of the rear's cargo
hold, too, for added load securing. Above, in the headliner,
resides removable inside lighting that doubles as a flashlight.
Diving deeper into the cabin reveals more nifty elements. The
rear door handles serve as impromptu water bottles. Its armrests
have USB outlets and big, rotatable window switches. And, much like
the rear's ceiling-mounted removable flashlight, the dome light can
serve as an exterior locator or beacon.
An ultra-compact The North Face® sleeping bag fits neatly
between front passenger seats, and functions as an armrest that is
strapped atop an extra-large dividing console. The console can fold
upward, revealing additional storage capacity for medium-sized
gear. Its breathable, high-grip, hybrid mesh surface allows for wet
items to dry quickly, and its bungee cord lattices keep small items
in place. Front passenger doors receive identical large window
switches and removable water bottle door grips as the rear, but
gain blue storage boxes camouflaged as armrests.
The dash ahead of the front passenger is a mix of blue and
orange designated storage. A larger blue chest "floats" above a
carved orange bin. On both sides of the chest are slim air vents
capable of rotating down in order to warm, dry, or cool clothing
such as gloves and hats. A removable multimedia audio system is
part boom box, part in-dash stereo and is engineered with an
extra-large handle grip (ala exterior door handles).
Although there is no traditional navigation screen, designers
did include a mobile phone mount directly above the driver's
digitized cylindrical instrument cluster. The concept being that a
downloadable navigation application, as well as an application
showing digitized off-road instrumentation, can be made available
for drivers' use. Gen Y-ers, Calty's designers realized, rely
heavily on their mobile devices for GPS directions.
A "LET'S GO PLACES" DRIVETRAIN
Albeit a concept, one could assume the FT-4X could potentially
employ a small displacement four-cylinder engine. Being equipped
with mechanical four-wheel drive and selectable low-range further
accentuates the FT-4X's always-ready character, while the punchy,
low-displacement engine maintains exceptional usability and
efficiency while traversing congested city streets or open dusty
trails. A sophisticated MacPherson strut front, double-wishbone
rear suspension absorbs rocks and potholes.
LIVE IN THE CITY, THRIVE IN THE WILD
The Toyota FT-4X Concept fully embodies "Rugged
Waku-Doki" (translation: a palpable heart-pounding sense of
excitement) through its numerous clever design ingredients. It
charms its tech-savvy, screen-scrolling users with a distinct
tactile charisma sensed at every button push, handle twist, and
dirt road trekked. Yes, with the FT-4X, never has the divide
between desktop and trailhead been as infinitesimal as now.
TOYOTA FT-4X CONCEPT
DIMENSIONS
|
WHEELBASE
|
103.9 in.
|
LENGTH
|
167.3 in.
|
WIDTH
|
71.7 in.
|
HEIGHT
|
63.9 in.
|
Toyota Division Communications
Sam Butto
(310) 468-7728
sam.butto@toyota.com
Nate Martinez
(310) 468-5134
nate.martinez@toyota.com
Calty Design Research, Inc. Communications
Joo Lee
(949) 759-6351
joo_lee@calty.toyota.com
Media Web site: http://www.toyotanewsroom.com
Public Web site: http://www.toyota.com
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America