At the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, the Toyota FT-AC (Future Toyota Adventure Concept) SUV debuted with features any cyclist or outdoorsy athlete would love to see make it to production. Looking similar in size to one of their best selling vehicles, the RAV4, the FT-AC jacks up the capability with more ground clearance, 20″ wheels, Force Vectoring all-wheel-drive with advanced traction and descent capabilities similar to what’s on the Forerunner.
“FT-AC is perfect for those outdoor enthusiasts who want to dial up the adventure on their weekend getaways,” said Jack Hollis, group vice president and general manager, Toyota division. “No matter the roads, the activities, or the people, FT-AC sparks authentic fun and conversation.”
Being a concept, potential features abound, but we’ll start at the back with the integrated bike rack.
Sure, it’s only one bike, but if we’re honest, that’s probably all most of us need on a regular basis. The tray-style rack slides out from under the rear bumper and secures the frame with a pop-up arm that clamps the downtube.
Up front, LED fog lights can be popped out and used to explore the woods at night, even by bike…they say they can be mounted to your handlebars for night riding.
The mirror-mounted cameras (which also work in Infrared) can also be removed to go where the action takes you. Once back on the vehicle, they’ll sync with on-board WiFi and automatically upload your footage to the cloud, where you can edit your shredit via smartphone app and share it with the world. There’s also onboard GPS and geolocation features so you easily find your way back to basecamp.
Tow hooks on all four corners.
The integrated roof tray has lights built into the front and rear, which can help illuminate your surroundings with ambient light, or push more lumens to help you see where you’re driving. The front ones can even act as a flash for the mirror’s cameras.
The body is armored at high contact points on the outside. Inside, there’s room for four (probably five if they’re kids) plus gear.
Toyota confirms that, for now, it’s just a concept, but close with this:
“Although currently a design experiment, FT-AC has been imagined as a thoroughly capable gasoline-powered vehicle with an advanced torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system. This enables power to be routed, as needed, for excellent controllability and maximum traction. Variable terrain-response settings and 4-wheel lock functionality build on its capability by managing traction control and throttle response to maximize grip at each wheel for a more dynamic driving experience.
“And who says a hybrid vehicle can only play on pavement? FT-AC could offer a next-generation hybrid powertrain that blends fuel efficiency with rugged all-wheel-drive grunt, giving drivers better power, responsiveness, and impressive fuel economy – all without compromise.”
This video shows more of their presentation, jump to 7:30 for the FT-AC introduction…and maybe to about 12:50 in for the good stuff. There’s a quick (probably better) recap at 17:40, too.
