toyota lunar cruiser controlled by joysticks emerges as electric SUV built for moon driving

Toyota baby lunar cruiser inspired by FJ40 vehicle

CALTY Design Research, the American outpost of Toyota’s global design network, is celebrating five decades as the first major automotive design studio on the West Coast with the introduction of the Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser. This concept electric SUV, inspired by the original FJ40 Land Cruiser and the real Lunar Cruiser being developed by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota (read more about it here), features in-wheel electric motors and is controlled by dual joysticks to assist the driver during moon exploration.

Upgraded technologies are showcased in the concept of the Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser. Its outward visibility is enhanced by the protruding glass canopy, and the electric moon SUV offers a panoramic setup through the dashboard display powered by augmented reality. At the front of the Baby Lunar Cruiser, the TOYOTA script emerges on the grille, complemented by an array of cameras and sensors that scan and monitor the surroundings of the electric SUV while traveling on the moon.

images by Toyota

Electric SUV with flexible interior for moon driving

While the Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser is currently a concept, many of its ambitious design elements can inform the car company and its design network, CALTY, which has created everything from the 1978 Toyota Celica to the 2024 Toyota Tacoma, about potential additions in future SUV models. Consider the split tailgate configuration at the rear of the electric SUV for moon driving, alongside the adjustable spaceframe seats and panels that enable interior flexibility for off- and on-land adventures.

CALTY Design Research looks forward to many more years of unveiling future-forward designs for Toyota. The introduction of the Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser concept, built to conquer rugged terrain on Earth and the moon, embodies a mix of adaptive technology and heritage design cues from the original FJ40 Land Cruiser and provides a glimpse of the potential concepts the design team will unveil in the coming years. Currently, CALTY’s most recent production designs include the 2024 Land Cruiser and the 2024 Tacoma, with many more to come in the future.

side and rear view of Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser