Watching Toyota work is like watching a developing storm. At first you're not sure where it's going, what it's going to do - or how big it will be. Then in what seems like a moment but is really quite a long time, the storm gathers up its clouds, sets out on a destination and pours rain or snow on the heads of the people living in one unlucky region. Sort of like how some other carmakers feel when they watch the inexorable progress Toyota has made over the past 10 years. And recently, whether it's been the Scion brand, hybrid advancement or the new Tacoma - the results have been what Toyota expected - and what competitors feared. Now they're at it again, with the unveiling Monday of the Toyota FT-SX Concept, a not-quite-ready-for-prime-time concept vehicle that trumpets Toyota's intention to build cars that appeal to the baby boomer generation. The FT-SX, while strictly a concept, is a strong indication of what's to come from the automaker that seems to always have the market momentum. "Yes, we could build it," said Jim Press, Toyota Motor Sales executive vice president and COO. "You start with a concept, but it's very realistic that it would be built." Press went on to say that there is a system in place to determine the validity of a concept, but that the FT-SX is the result of a market shift that Toyota sees - that being the demand from older buyers for vehicles that have the SUV feel and sedan-like performance. A crossover. Yes - but more car than SUV in the classic definition of what a crossover should be. Left unsaid is the potentially subtle upscaling of the Toyota brand, should they build it. Don't bet against it. It's clear that Toyota intends to make cars for this growing and influential market - and that they think a crossover would do the job quite nicely. If it were on the market today, the FT-SX would probably be quite successful, judging from sales of the Scion xB to boomers, and because it theoretically offers the perfect solution to buyers who don't have the requirement of space but want it, and who want more sportiness but can live without a roadster or small performance sedan. The FT-SX answers the call with a bold exterior design that is futuristic in its application of lighting and doors yet also carries strong current-day Toyota design cues. Designers from Calty, Toyota's California design center, call the design a future look at Toyota, especially when it comes to the front of the vehicle. Named the "T-Face" by designers, the front design integrates the headlamps and grille with a sculpted hood and lines that move all the way from front to back. Though the FT-SX sits tall, it has a strong coupe feel, except for the back, which hints strongly at its SUV character. In back, the hatch opens three different ways - upper glass goes up, lower hatch goes down, and its glass roof operates two panels that slide toward the center, leaving ample loading space in back. As with most concepts, the interior is a combination of function and fantasy - with a stronger emphasis on fantasy. Features include a floating gauge cluster and what Toyota executives call a 60/60 design, which increases the personal living space of each passenger. The concept also features all-wheel drive and 21-inch tires. Should they build it? Chances are good that a vehicle similar to the FT-SX will be built, and chances are good that it will be a hybrid. Just like that gathering storm, Toyota keeps coming, and this time they've laid a course for the heart of the baby boomer generation. By Brian Chee
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