2016 Toyota Fortuner revealed

Toyota has officially revealed the much-anticipated 2016 Fortuner, which is expected to make its way to India next year, and probably before that, showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo.

As with the current generation Fortuner, the 2016 model is also based on the Toyota HiLux but gets edgier design to set it apart from the current range of Toyota off-roaders and pick-ups.

The overall silhouette of the new Fortuner is still butch and muscular, but it gets a new face with a v-shaped grille flanked by thick chrome and new sleek headlamps, with LED daytime running lights on the top-spec variant. The front bumper is all-new as well, with several cuts and creases and the rather unusual recesses for the fog lamps, surrounded again by generous amount of chrome.

On the profile, the new Fortuner gets subtle changes in design, the most prominent being the belt line with a prominent and attention-grabbing kink in the C-pillar. What’s also noticeable is the floating, ‘pillar-less roof design’ thanks to the blacked out and glass-finished C and D pillars. Depending on the trim levels, in this case three, termed the GX, GXL and Crusade, there are 17-inch and 18-inch alloys on offer, roof rails, fog lamps, reverse parking sensors, keyless smart entry and start, downhill assist control, b-LED headlamps and LED DRLs.

On the inside too, the new 2016 Toyota Fortuner gets a complete revamp and much better looking cabin. Again, depending on the trim levels, the interiors could be available in a smart all-black theme as well as a dual tone leather scheme with faux, brushed aluminium highlights. Overall, you may wonder if the new Fortuner is actually better looking than the current generation SUV, but it’s certain to grab attention. And in India, the overplayed face of the new Fortuner is sure to find quite a sizeable fan following.

Under the hood too, the new Toyota Fortuner gets a new 2.8-litre direct-injection, four cylinder turbo diesel engine rated at 177PS. Maximum torque from the engine is rated at 420Nm for the manual and 450Nm for the automatic. Both gearboxes – a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic – are new as well. And then the suspension package has been tweaked too – double wishbones at the front and a five-link coil spring configuration at the rear which is said to improve ride over different kinds of surfaces. New front and rear stabilizer bars are also expected to improve handling and minimize body roll.

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In addition, another significant technical change on the new Fortuner is the drive system, which instead of the full time all-wheel system on the current generation model, will be a part-time system on the new car. The 2016 Toyota Fortuner will get a shift-on-the-fly four wheel drive system with both high or low range settings. Off-road capabilities are also further enhanced by a rear differential lock, for better off-road performance and the components of the diff lock is placed within the differential housing for greater off-road protection.