Toyota Mega Cruiser: a brief history of the largest Japanese SUV



As Toyota made their own hammer.

Toyota Mega Cruiser: a brief history of the largest Japanese SUV 

Usually Toyota is not used to surprise the audience with some incredible cars, with the exception of a collection of futuristic concept cars, which from time to time demonstrates annually at the international motor shows. But in the 1990’s, Toyota brought to market a clone of the American military SUV Hummer, calling it a “Mega Cruiser”, which greatly surprised the whole world.

 

You probably know the story: in 1992, the world market appeared the civilian Hummer H1 SUV, which was based on a military vehicle of the U.S. army (HMMWV or Humvee). So a military jeep Humvee became available for purchase to anyone under the brand name Hammer.

Toyota Mega Cruiser: a brief history of the largest Japanese SUV 

But if the SUV hammer, who became famous during the war in the Persian Gulf when it was “operation desert Storm” (operation of the US army to liberate Kuwait and defeat of Iraqi army) the whole world knows, few people know that Toyota a year after the formation of the civil SUV Hummer H1 in 1993, at the motor show in Tokyo presented incredible your SUV, in the style of American military vehicles. The car was brilliant and mysterious name – “Mega Cruiser”.

 

As an American military Humvee Japanese military “Hulk” was not created for the masses, and for military purposes in Japan. First and foremost, the Toyota Mega Cruiser was made to move the military across rough terrain, for the transportation of mortars, used as a missile platform. Including Japanese military began to use Mega Cruiser and for other military purposes.

 

The width of the Mega Cruiser was about the same as the military vehicles Hummer. True Japanese clone of Hummer had a little more length, which amounted to 5090 mm. Japanese military “Kruzak” was heavier than the American military SUV.

 

In those years, U.S. military Humvee SUV used several diesel engines V8 (civilian H1 car brand Hummer is also equipped with eight-cylinder and gasoline engine).

Japanese Mega Cruiser used a 4.1-liter inline four-cylinder turbo diesel engine ‘15B’, which in those years often used minibus Toyota Coaster . This motor has 150 HP

Toyota Mega Cruiser: a brief history of the largest Japanese SUV 

Every Toyota Mega Cruiser was equipped with all-wheel drive and triple locking differentials. Power from the engine is transferred to all four wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission.

 

The most interesting option in this mega Japanese SUV had dual rear wipers that perfectly helped to clean the rear glass from dust and dirt when driving off-road.

 

By the way, the Japanese also decided not to stop on the spot and released a civilian version of the military Mega Cruiser, giving it the designation “BXD20” (the military version was designated “BXD10”). The regular version of the SUV was sold only in the domestic market of Japan.

Toyota Mega Cruiser: a brief history of the largest Japanese SUV

Alas, this off road “Hulk” has not received success on the Japanese market, since the current in those years, tax rates and the cost of fuel in the country of the rising sun did not allow ordinary people to own this interesting car. In the result this car could afford to buy only the very rich, despite the fact that the SUV was pretty cheap on the market.

 

As a result, today in the world hard to find live original Mega Cruiser SUV (version BXD20). Even in Japan on the domestic market difficult today to find this rare king of the road. As a result, the car became a real collector’s item not only among the fans of the Japanese brand.

 

The interior of Toyota Mega Cruiser BXD20

 

Inside the SUV Mega Cruiser was littered with parts from various Toyota cars produced in the early 1990s. unfortunately, unlike civilian vehicles “Hummer” salon Mega Cruiser looked clumsy and ridiculous in various buttons and sensors.

However, despite this absurdity, the cabin of this SUV still has something unusual and pleasant.

Toyota Mega Cruiser: a brief history of the largest Japanese SUV 

SUV production lasted from 1995 to 2002. The majority of cars were delivered for the military needs of the army of Japan and various emergency services.

 

Then, and even now it is the largest SUV in the history of Toyota in the entire history of car production.

Yes, there is a large Toyota Land Cruiser 200, which in size can partially be compared with the Mega Cruiser. But despite this if you compare all specifications Mega Cruiser, then certainly it is far superior characteristics even modern Land Cruiser 200.

Toyota Mega Cruiser: a brief history of the largest Japanese SUV