All-New Toyota Fortuner: What To Expect

The Toyota Fortuner is coming back in an all-new avatar to conquer its formidable rival, the Ford Endeavour. 

The Ford Endeavour dethroned the long-run monopoly of the Toyota Fortuner in the premium SUV segment, the second it went on sale with its cut-throat pricing undercutting a generation old Toyota. 

Ford has recently slashed the prices of few of the Endeavour's variants by up to Rs 2.82 lakh. Thus, making it more affordable and further increasing its value-for-money quotient. This being said, the Fortuner is coming back with vengeance in an all-new avatar to take down the American SUV. Toyota will launch the new Fortuner on November 07.  

Toyota didn’t showcase the second generation Fortuner at this year’s auto expo, despite the fact that it had already revealed the all-new model globally in July 2015. In India, the SUV was supposed to enter in 2017, but perhaps due to the growing popularity of the 2016 Endeavour, Toyota has fast-tracked the launch of the Fortuner. It is already on sale in the Australian and other Asian markets and we expect the Indian version to be similarly specced. Here’s what the all-new Fortuner has to offer. 

Mechanicals and Platform 

Like the outgoing model, the new Fortuner will also share its powertrains with the current generation Innova – Innova Crysta. Toyota has introduced a new set of diesel engines for the duo, namely, a 2.4-litre (2-GD-FTV)  and a 2.8-litre (1-GD-FTV), both four-cylinder units. Though the power output will be similar to the Innova, both the oil burners in the Fortuner will muster more torque. Besides the diesel, this time the Fortuner is most likely to come in a petrol avatar as well. The petrol engine will also be shared with the Innova – 2.7-litre dual VVT-i. Speaking of the transmission options, the 2.7-litre petrol is likely to come mated to a five-speed manual only. The 2.4-litre diesel will come with an option of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic, while the 2.8-litre diesel is likely to come solely with the latter.

Like the previous generation SUV, the new Fortuner continued with the body-on-frame approach, but features a brand new chassis. Like always, it shares the platform with the Innova.   

Design 

The new Fortuner doesn’t look remotely related to the one it will soon be replacing. In terms of design, the outgoing SUV was focused more on butch and muscular appearance. While the new one has not parted ways with those aspects, it has added a little flamboyance to it (understatement!). 

At the outset, the Fortuner features a large chrome grille flanked by sleek Bi-beam LED projector headlamps with daytime running LEDs. The sides feature squarish wheel arches, there is a kink around the C-pillar and it rides on massive 18-inch wheels. At the rear, the tail lamps kind of mimics the headlamps’ sleeker profile and features LED graphics. All in all, the Fortuner looks youthful and sporty compared to the previous generation SUV. 

Dimensions

Features and Safety 

Ever since Ford introduced the new Endeavour in India, which was in January 2016, the outgoing Fortuner was no match for it when it came to features. Having said this, the new Fortuner will come with most of the features that the 2016 Endeavour has to offer. 

Starting with the infotainment system, the new Fortuner will offer a 7-inch capacitive-based touchscreen system (similar to the Innova), which will come with Toyota’s T-Connect support. The unit will also offer DVD playback, Bluetooth phone integration, USB and Aux-in and support for the rear camera (it also has parking sensors). The system will be coupled to a six-speaker setup and will feature a shark-fin antenna. 

The instrument cluster sports a larger central MID screen, which also displays information from the infotainment system along with other relevant stuff. The cabin will be upholstered in leather (leather and synthetic leather) and will feature 60:40 and 50:50 folding second and third rows, respectively. Additionally, the driver’s seat will be power-adjustable and it also offers power tailgate. Like the Innova, it comes with first and second-row climate control air conditioning. 

Unlike the previous model, however, the new Fortuner will offer shift-on-fly four-wheel-drive system. The six-speed automatic variants will come with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. 

Safety equipment on board will include a seven-airbag system including the driver knee airbags along with host of other features such as, ABS (anti-lock Braking system) with EBD (electronic brake- force distribution) and BA (brake assist), VSC (vehicle stability control) TRC (traction control) HAC (hill-start assist control) and DAC (downhill assist control). 

Recommended Read: 2016 Ford Endeavour - Is It Priced Right?

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