Toyota reveals HiLux-based Fortuner SUV
New model combines diesel power, four-wheel-drive and seats for seven.
July 16 2015 - 2:35PM
David McCowen
Toyota has confirmed that its HiLux-based Fortuner SUV will arrive in October.
The four-wheel-drive wagon shares hardware with the new Toyota HiLux ute, and will be fitted as standard with a diesel engine, four-wheel-drive and seven seats.
Tony Cramb, executive director of sales and marketing for Toyota Australia, says the Fortuner is "a vehicle that is equally at home on the school run as it is in the toughest conditions in Australia".
"It is incredibly tough. It has the underpinnings of the unbreakable HiLux... yet its styling is sleek and advanced," he says.
"It offers a refined, car-like drive and the opportunity for adventures on the weekend."
Toyota says the model will fill a hole in its line-up for a diesel wagon sitting between the RAV4 and LandCruiser Prado machines, while giving an alternative to the larger and more road-biased petrol-only Kluger SUV.
Like its HiLux cousin, the Fortuner has a rugged body-on-frame design powered by a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine linked to a part-time four-wheel-drive system.
The main mechanical difference between the two is that the wagon uses a five-link coil spring suspension setup in place of the pick-up's leaf spring arrangement.
Toyota says the Fortuner has a 3000-kilogram towing capacity in six-speed manual form, with a 300 kilogram town-ball rating that should cope with heavy-duty towing. Six-speed automatic models are set to offer a 2.8 tonne towing peak.
Australian engineers had a strong role developing the machine, which has 225 millimetres of ground clearance – 25 millimetres more than the Kluger – along with steep approach and departure angles and a mechanical rear differential lock that should come in handy when the going gets rough.
Toyota will offer the machine in three model grades dubbed GX, GXL and Crusade.
All models will be fitted as standard with seven airbags including curtain coverage for all three rows, as well as front and rear air conditioning, a touch screen stereo and disc brakes with stability control.
Mid-range models will add parking sensors, smart keys and hill descent assistance, along with all-terrain tyres shared with the entry-level model.
The top-end Crusade is loaded extras such as LED headlamps, a powered tailgate and 18-inch wheels with highway-based tyres.
The wagon will be built in Thailand, where it will take advantage of low labour costs and a car-friendly free trade agreement.
It enters a growing segment that has received plenty of attention lately, with Ford on the cusp of launching its own ute-based SUV in the upcoming Everest and Isuzu's relatively new MU-X kicking goals alongside its cousin in Holden's Colorado 7.
Mitsubishi has also hinted at a next-generation Challenger that will add a dash of refinement to its ageing SUV.
Toyota says the Fortuner will be priced between the RAV4 and Prado, and that it does not need to modify its range to accommodate the new SUV. Full pricing and specifications - as well as details surrounding its interior - will be revealed closer to the model's local launch.
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