By: Jason Woosey
Bangkok, Thailand - Toyota has officially revealed its all-new Fortuner in Thailand and Toyota SA has confirmed that the redesigned SUV will reach our shores during the second quarter of 2016.
According to Toyota, the design brief was to bring it up to date with the latest design trends, but without losing any of its utilitarian toughness or off-road ability - remember that unlike most modern SUVs the Fortuner sports a body-on-frame architecture.
BIG DESIGN SHIFT
That body design, of course, is more in keeping with modern crossover trends. Here the previous model's utilitarian simplicity makes way for a more exuberant style, with a sculpted chrome grille, slender headlights, bulging wheel arches and a blacked-out D-pillar that creates a floating roof effect.
Inside the newcomer you'll see a far more contemporary dashboard resembling that in the Toyota 86 coupé and it's garnished with some soft-touch textures and chrome detailing. Other modern-age bits include a tablet-like touch-screen infotainment system and a keyless start function.
All good and well but much of the Fortuner's appeal also lies in its practicality and here the 2016 model makes good by retaining its predecessor's three-row, seven seat layout while improving functionality with a one-touch folding operation for the second row and the third row now has a fixed hook attachment for easy stowage.
A NEW RANGE OF ENGINES
Yet the big talking point will be the Fortuner's new 2.4-litre and 2.8-litre turbodiesel engines, which Toyota SA has confirmed for our market, but without divulging any figures.
Toyota Australian division, however, has confirmed that the 2.8 produces 130kW and 450Nm when mated to the new six-speed automatic gearbox, with torque down to 420Nm when paired with the six-speed manual gearbox. The latter is also a new 'box and comes with rev-matching technology. According to Toyota's Thai website, the 2.4-litre diesel produces 110kW and 400Nm in both manual and auto form.
Toyota SA's release also confirms that "petrol variants" will form part of the local line-up. No other details are given but they've clearly implied that there will be more than one petrol option, so our bet is that the 122kW/245Nm 2.7-litre four-cylinder petrol motor, offered in Thailand, will join the range as a price leader, while the 4-litre V6 could carry over for those who own petrol stations.
A SMOOTHER RIDE
The 2016 Fortuner rides on an all-new, strengthened chassis with redesigned suspension taking the form of a double-wishbone design upfront and a four-link set-up at the back. According to Toyota, smoothness and stability have been enhanced by an additional rear stabiliser.
That's about as much as we can tell you for now but watch this space as Toyota promises to reveal more about the range and specifications nearer to the 2016 launch date.
Do you like what you see so far, or could Ford's new Everest be more up your alley?