Toyota Compact Cruiser EV Looks Fantastic in New Photos

Late last year Toyota announced ambitious electrification plans for its lineup and showed off a cornucopia of neat-looking concept cars, from a low-slung Lexus supercar to a butch Toyota Tacoma–like pickup truck and an angular Toyota sports car. One of our favorites was the Compact Cruiser EV, a miniature off-roader with boxy styling reminiscent of the Land Cruiser, which recently departed our shores. Now the concept car has won a design award, prompting Toyota to release a slew of new images of the mini-ute.

The photos of the blue and orange Compact Cruiser EV depict a full-scale model, providing a better sense of the vehicle’s proportions than the images Toyota released last year. The Compact Cruiser EV was penned by Toyota’s design squad in Nice, France, and was honored with the 2022 Car Design Award for concept cars by Auto&Design magazine, an Italian publication.

The chunky styling and flared rear wheel arches evoke the early FJ Land Cruisers, but the Compact Cruiser EV is decidedly modern with its LED lighting elements and intricate front fascia. The Compact Cruiser EV is also fitted with a ladder on the orange C-pillar, similar to the way some accessories can be added onto the latest Land Rover Defender.

Despite having four doors, the wheelbase appears very short, which would help improve maneuverability both on the trails and in the city. Toyota says the off-roader is geared towards “young, professional urban dwellers who enjoy active outdoor leisure interests.” Most of the photos show the Compact Cruiser EV riding on black and silver wheels, but this profile shot depicts a retro-styled white five-spoke design.

Toyota also created renderings of the Compact Cruiser EV tackling a variety of off-road scenarios, and they show the tiny SUV in tasteful dark green and tan paint jobs. The Compact Cruiser EV is also fitted with a roof rack, auxiliary lights, and branch deflector wires.