Kijang Krista Transformed into an Off-Road Monster, Price on Par with the Innova Zenix Hybrid
JAKARTA — The Toyota Kijang has long been identified as a simple, sturdy family car for daily use. Yet in the hands of modification enthusiasts, older Kijang can be transformed into an extreme off-road vehicle. One example is the Toyota Kijang Krista “Monster” spotted at Toyota Car Meet 2026 recently.
Akas from Toyota Kijang Club Indonesia Chapter Jakarta says the modification project was created with a concept of using full parts from various Toyota models.
“I bring five cars, including the Kijang Krista Monster. This car uses all parts from Toyota. There are Prado, Crown, Harrier, and even another Kijang. So we put all Toyotas into this Kijang Krista,” Akas told Kompas.com.
The car uses the early-generation Kijang Krista as the base, which still had capsule headlights with a sharp upward turn signal design.
Initially, the owner only swapped the engine using a Toyota JZ engine. But due to an off-road hobby, the car’s undercarriage sustained damage in rough terrain. From there, the idea arose to rebuild the car into a full 4x4.
“Since the owner is into off-road, one day he off-roaded and the undercarriage got mangled. So it was made into a 4x4,” Akas said.
For the undercarriage, the car uses a front and rear axle from the Toyota Prado. Meanwhile the transfer case uses components from the Toyota Hilux petrol, paired with the JZ engine’s gearbox.
“So the front and rear axles are Prado’s, and the transfer-case transmission is from the Hilux petrol. So everything was fused,” he added.
A major upgrade can also be seen in the suspension. While the standard Kijang uses leaf springs at the rear and a torsion bar at the front, this car’s suspension system is made more extreme for off-road use.
On the exterior, the Kijang Krista Monster looks fierce with a matte blue Raptor paint, tubular steel bumper, overland roof rack, a large snorkel on the right side, and jumbo off-road tyres.
The ground clearance is also made very high, with the tall undercarriage characteristic of crawler vehicles.
“It is indeed for off-road. So perhaps people can say it’s built from scratch for off-road,” Akas said.
Inside, the ambience feels more modern. The cabin uses electric seats from the Toyota Harrier.
“Interior-wise, it uses Harrier’s seats, so electric,” he said.
As for modification costs, the amount spent is not small, equal to the price of the latest Innova Zenix Hybrid.
“Estimated modification cost on the Zenix Hybrid starts from Rp 600 million. But that is excluding the paint, because we used Raptor paint, and we also built tubulars and a tubular bumper,” Akas said.