Toyota Fortuner: Old vs. New

Initially launched in 2004, Toyota Fortuner has become a household name and set the standard for the SUV segment. The popularity of the model has made it one of the highest selling SUVs in the world. And now, to keep up the interest of customers, Toyota recently rolled out its facelifted version. It is currently unveiled in Thailand but expected to arrive soon in Malaysia. 

2020 Toyota Fortuner features notable design tweaks, along with new tech and safety features. If you are a prospective buyer looking to purchase the all-new Fortuner, you should look at some of the key differences between the new and soon-to-be-replaced model.

Exterior

Starting with the front end where most buyers notice a pretty remarkable difference between the new and old models. The standard model carries a larger grille finished in black, redesigned LED headlamps with DRLs, a revised front bumper, new 18-inch alloy wheels, fog-light bezels, and updated LED taillamps. The Thai-spec Fortuner gets a new Legender variant, which is different from the standard model in terms of design as well as features. 

The Fortuner Legender gets a Lexus-like front fascia with a split grille, sleeker LED headlamps, and a large spoiler. It gets a sportier persona with different front and rear bumpers along with new 20-inch dual-tone alloys. However, the dimensions remain unchanged except the wheelbase, which is now 50 mm longer than the ongoing 2700 mm. 

Interior

If you step in the new Fortuner, expecting a world of difference between this and the ongoing model, you could be disappointed as it boasts few modifications inside the cabin. Toyota has not changed the layout for the dashboard and just updated it with a larger touchscreen infotainment system in Legender trim. The standard model houses the same 8-inch touchscreen while the top-spec model gets a 9-inch display.

The new Fortuner comes with a new instrument cluster by ditching the old black dials with white font. The new cluster emits a blue glow and the smaller font size. New dark upholstery can also be seen in both variants.

Features

Speaking of the added ones, the new Fortuner’s infotainment system comes with Apple CarPlay but still misses on Android Auto compatibility. It houses a 9-speaker JBL sound system with a subwoofer. The distinguishing features of Fortuner Legender comprise ambient lighting housed on the door panels, a wireless charging pad, and a 360-degree parking camera. The facelifted model now gets an auto-dimming inside rear-view mirror and kick-to-open feature for the powered tailgate.

Engine

The current Toyota Fortuner is available in two engine options - 2.7-litre and 2.4-litre. The former is a 2694cc 4-cylinder petrol unit producing 166 PS of power at 5200 rpm and 245 Nm of torque kicks in at 4000 rpm. While the later one is a 2393cc diesel mill generating 150 PS and 400 Nm. Both engines are paired with a 6-speed automatic gearbox with sequential shifters. 

In contrast to this, the Thai-spec Toyota Fortuner incorporates a more powerful 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine tuned to produce 204 PS of power and 500 Nm of peak torque. The engine comes with a 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic transmission options. Toyota claims that the new engine is 17 percent more fuel-efficient and has cleaner emissions.

Safety 

The ongoing iteration of SUV has attained a 5-star rating in the Adult Occupant Protection category from ASEAN NCAP. The features include 7 SRS airbags, vehicle stability control, hill-start assist control, emergency stop signal, downhill assist control, trailer sway control, and alarm system. However, we can see a significant change in this category.

The 2020 Toyota Fortuner is packed with the Toyota Safety Sense suite. It features a pre-collision system, lane tracing assist, lane departure alert, road sign assist, and dynamic radar cruise control.

Price

The current Toyota Fortuner price lies between RM 170,500 and RM 195,600. For the facelifted model, a rise is expected for obvious reasons, especially in the top-spec variants.

Toyota has unveiled the price for the Thailand market. It is priced from 1,349,000 THB (RM 182,869) to 1,839,000 (RM 249,259) THB.

So how good is the new Toyota Fortuner, the answer would be incomplete unless we get the chance to get behind the wheels. For this, we expect that Toyota soon introduces the model in Malaysia.

Also read: 2021 Toyota Hilux debuts with a punchy engine