Toyota has achieved great success with the Fortuner in Indian market. It has been selling in impressive numbers and has been a nightmare for other SUVs in the same price bracket. It is based on the same platform as the Toyota Hilux pickup which is a capable vehicle as well. The SUV is based on a ladder frame which is tough and rugged. It is quite capable even when the going gets tough. The last update to this SUV came out a while back and it would receive a refresh soon. The updated Toyota Fortuner will come out in 2016 and is already being tested.
The Fortuner has been spotted testing multiple times in Thailand. We share a large fraction of vehicles with the Thai market and this would be another vehicle that is shared between the two markets. They are also testing the next generation Innova for launch around the same time as Fortuner. Both these cars and the Toyota Hilux share the same platform. We are expecting both these new cars to come at the 2016 Auto Expo.
People who are expecting them to use a monocoque platform are in for a disappointment. Toyota will continue to use the ladder frame for the Hilux, Fortuner and Innova. This is because a ladder frame is more suited to an off road vehicle and provides for a rugged platform. It ensures that the vehicle is reliable and capable of handling the rough stuff, the old school way. However they have redesigned it frame and it would be considerably lighter than the outgoing version. The images indicate that the large dimensions of the SUV remain even on the upcoming model. The overall design however seems to be a bit modern and along the lines of costlier Toyota SUVs.
While the spy shots show the SUV covered in camouflage, there are certain details that can be made out from the images. The headlamps will grow sharper and more angular on this new model. The grille up front would be wider and feature lot of chrome. The side profile would not be very much different from the current generation of Fortuner. You might see a new set of alloy wheels here but that is about it. On the rear, it will feature sharper LED tail lamps that wrap around the corner. This would be somewhat similar to the costlier Lexus SUVs.
The current generation of Fortuner is powered by a 3.0 litre diesel engine that generates a peak power of 171 bhp. The upcoming model will continue to come with a similar capacity engine but the power and torque figures will go up. This along with the reduced weight should help a bit with acceleration and speed of the SUV which isn’t impressive otherwise. The transmission options will be a 5 speed manual and an automatic gearbox. The Fortuner is also coming out in another low capacity variant very soon. It will come with a 2.5 litre engine and we will see it sooner than this facelift.
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I am into the auto blogs field for quite a long time. Living my passion of reviewing cars.
Tagged: 2016 Toyota Fortuner
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