From the 79-Series Land Cruisers that bring old-school Toyota toughness into the modern day, to the current-generation Prado, and even the upcoming retro-flavored FJ, Toyota fans itching to hit the gravel, myself included, are spoiled for choice from the Aichi outfit.
However, it doesn’t stop there. Japanese specialist Jimmy Land, alongside local Japanese tuner Garage Ill, known for high-quality bodywork in Japan, is set to introduce a body kit for the Suzuki Jimny, drawing inspiration from the venerable 70-Series Land Cruiser.
Dubbed the “70YO.70,” which is cheekily cute, included in this conversion kit are parts such as a beefier hood, a bumper borrowed from the Jimny Sierra, “70YO.70 Destroyer” badges on the sides, and an auxiliary side-view mirror, custom front grille, and LED headlights, all meant to mimic the refurbished 70 Series Land Cruisers.
Other accoutrements to further sell the Land Cruiser vibe include extra vents to enhance the profile, faux grilles at the rear, and even a faux AdBlue cover on the side of the hood, a hilarious nod to the modern, Euro-spec diesel 70-Series, to really sell the ‘Baby Cruiser’ persona. Other options to enhance this ‘Cruiser Junior’ include accessories like a snorkel, new alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, and even matching suspension upgrades.
Whether this kit will be compatible with the 5-door Jimny Nomade has not yet been officially confirmed. However, since the Jimny’s front-end architecture is identical across both wheelbases, it’s almost a certainty that 5-door owners can get in on the retro action.
But most importantly, given how popular the Jimny is among Filipino off-road enthusiasts like me, and the cult-classic status the 70 Series has earned, will we be able to see these kits reach local shores? I’d argue we should, given that the Jimny is the perfect canvas for “Mini-me”- inspired builds such as DAMD’s “Little G” and “Little D” kits, which mimic the Mercedes G-Wagon and Land Rover Defender, respectively. I don’t see why we shouldn’t be seeing these ‘Junior Cruisers’ on Philippine roads, or better yet, on the off-road trails scattered around the Philippines.
