Words by: Aatish Mishra
11th August, 2015
Toyota Australia has revealed images of the next-gen Fortuner, before its global unveiling. The design language of the car now resonates with other Toyota SUVs sold internationally. The trapezoid grille is flanked with two thick chrome strips that separate it from the headlights. The headlights, which have undergone some serious slimming treatment, have been swept backwards and house LED DRLs. The shoulder line rises up over the rear wheel arch giving the Fortuner a sense of musculature. The taillights too have been thinned out and wrap around the side of the car, balancing the heft with a dash of finesse.
The Fortuner is packed with features like a large touchscreen display, a cooler to keep food and drinks warm or cold, reverse parking sensors and keyless entry and start. The top-of-the-line variant comes with a power tailgate.
The Fortuner looks sleeker now, and is still a capable off-roader underneath. The double wishbone front suspension is coupled with a five-link, coil-spring set up at the rear to maximise handling and ride comfort on all kinds of surfaces. To add to its off-roading repertoire, it has features like rear differential lock, part-time four-wheel drive, high and low range, active traction control, hill start assist and downhill assist control.
In Australia, the Fortuner will be sold with a 2.8 litre direct injection 4-cylinder turbo-diesel that produces 174bhp and 450Nm of Torque. This is mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed auto. This engine will replace the current 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine delivering both better performance and fuel efficiency.
Toyota haven’t revealed launch dates yet, but we expect this Fortuner to make its way to India by early next year. Why the wait? Because the factory has just been tooled-up for the all-new Innova and will be launched in the next couple of months.