It’s strange looking — in a very cool way… However, the all-new, 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser is actually the reincarnation of a Toyota icon, the FJ40 — the original Land Cruiser. It was a rugged, 24/7 go-anywhere vehicle, built long before some marketing wizard ever dreamed up the term “Sport Utility Vehicle.”

As reliable as it was rugged, Toyota FJs and Land Cruisers became the vehicle of choice for explorers, ranchers, missionaries, merchants, and UN peacekeepers — or anyone else needing to navigate untamed places anywhere on the planet where roads were virtually non-existent.

Meanwhile, those unfamiliar, and uncaring, about automotive history may view the FJ Cruiser like the Scion — new, cool, and unique — Toyota’s goal.

Walkaround: The FJ Cruise evokes the heritage of the FJ40 without being retro — meaning it doesn’t just update a half-century old design, instead, creating an image how the original FJ may have evolved. Its wide turtle-shell body belies the fact it shares much of its architecture with the four-door 4Runner and Tacoma pickup.

Although it looks like a two-door, the FJ Cruiser is a four-door, five-seater with standard front doors and rear hinged “suicide” doors for access to the back seat and cargo area. Rear access is via a door hinged on the driver’s side, instead of the typical SUV-style roof-hinged rear hatch.

Running boards and aluminum underbody protection plates are optional, along with an assortment of other accessories, including 16-inch wheels for true off-roaders, a roof rack, rock rails, side steps, and tow hitch.

Interior: The interior reflects the utilitarian character of early FJs, with a machined-look dashboard, optional body-colored door panel inserts, rubberized floor and cargo mats, and water-resistant cloth seats. Leather isn’t available. It’s expected owners will get their FJ Cruisers dirty, and want quick, easy cleanup. The only concession to modern convenience is cupholders in the center console.

The rear seatback splits 60/40 optimizing cargo carrying ability. The rear seat tilts forward and is removable to add a few more inches of cargo room.

Climate and audio controls sit in a body-colored panel in the center stack. Knobs and switches are conveniently mounted just ahead of the shift lever, with dummy switches for easy installation of aftermarket equipment such as off-road locking axles and auxiliary lighting.

Instrumentation consists of simple, easy to read, white-faced gauges — speedometer, tach, temperature, voltage and fuel level. An optional gauge trio (outside temperature, compass and inclinometer) is centered on top of the dash.

Besides the regular glove box, a smaller covered storage box on top of the instrument panel facing the driver can be equipped with an optional, removable Garmin Quest II GPS unit.

A 12-volt outlet is mounted on the switch panel ahead of the shifter with a grounded, three-prong, 115-volt power outlet in the cargo area, featuring a switch for either 100 or 400 watts (the higher number available at idle).

The factory audio system includes a CD player with iPod and MP3 capability and a pair of ceiling-mounted speakers. The optional FJammer system includes a factory-installed eight-inch subwoofer and a pair of 2.6-inch speakers mounted on the rear pillars.

Toyota marketeers anticipate nearly 70 percent of buyers will select the optional Upgrade Package featuring 17-inch wheels and tires, premium audio with the controls integrated into the leather-wrapped steering wheel, metal trim around the transmission and transfer case shift levers, a multi-information display, and topped off with body-colored interior door trim panels, as well as both the computerized A-TRAC four-wheel traction system and the locking rear differential.

Also available is a package that adds remote keyless entry, cruise, power mirrors with lights, privacy glass, rear door privacy glass and wiper, back-up sensor system and daytime running lights.

Safety features include Toyota’s STAR Safety System, featuring anti-spin Vehicle Stability Control to reduce wheel slip and enhance traction, and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. Side-curtain and front-seat side airbags are optional. Dual-stage front airbags are standard.

Under The Hood: Although the FJ Cruiser comes in only one model, there’s a choice of three drivetrains. The standard rear-wheel-drive, V6 is equipped with a five-speed automatic transmission. A part-time four-wheel-drive version offers the same engine and automatic, and there’s a full-time four-wheel-drive with a six-speed stick that features clutchless starting — which can come in handy for rock-crawling maneuvers.

The powerplant is the identical 4.0-liter V6 under the hood of the 4Runner, Tacoma and Tundra. It puts 239 ponies to the pavement with 278 pound-feet of torque — that’s 19 more horses and 53 more pound-feet of torque than the inline five-cylinder Hummer H3, and 49 more horses and 43 more pound-feet than the inline-six in the Jeep Unlimited Rubicon. It’s also rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds — 500 more than the H3 and 4,000 more than the Jeep.

Behind The Wheel: I had the opportunity to drive a pre-production FJ Cruiser at a press event in Palm Springs late last year, and a full-production version just recently. While designed to appeal to a youthful, predominantly male buyer, it’s also intentionally the most capable off-road Toyota. Given the macho capability of Toyota’s 4Runner, Tundra, and Tacoma, that’s a tall order.

The FJ proved itself up for the task conquering some seriously challenging desert terrain, including sand, gravel, rocks, bigger rocks, hills, trails, and other assorted obstacles not normally found on the freeway or the mall parking lot. It also won the Northwest Automotive Press Association’s 2006 annual off-road competition, Mudfest, and was chosen as “SUV of the Year” by the group.

I found the FJ Cruiser to be extremely capable over rugged terrain — maybe even more so than the 4Runner, because of its shorter wheelbase and higher ground clearance offer better approach and departure angles.

It’s also surprisingly comfortable and reasonably quiet on the highway. The V6 is not only strong, but clean and fuel-efficient, earning the EPA’s LEV-II (low-emission vehicle) rating. Depending on the drivetrain configuration, mileage is 16-18/city, and up to 22/highway.

Toyota believes more than 90 percent of FJ Cruiser buyers will select a 4x4 version. In my view, the part-time 4x4 with the automatic is an excellent choice regardless of road and weather conditions it offers rear-wheel drive, as well as shift-on-the-fly high and low range settings. An electronically locking rear differential is also available with either the automatic or stick — even in the two-wheel-drive version.

The manual is a full-time four-wheel-drive setup with four-high and four-low options (locked Torsen center differential) and four-wheel low and locked settings. Frankly, although seriously capable off-road, this is serious overkill for the average Northwest driver.

Whines: the big, optional roof rack creates a lot of wind noise at freeway speeds. It still looks cool though.

Bottom Line: The 2007 FJ Cruiser is Toyota’s newest and most capable vehicle when it comes to getting where you want when there’s no pavement underneath. Like the Hummer and Wrangler, it isn’t for everyone. But for folks whose lifestyles include exploring mountain roads, secluded lakes, busy ski trails, sandy beaches, and the urban jungle, the FJ Cruiser delivers Toyota quality with a distinctive design — inside and out — at a very competitive price