Fortuner to be slow seller: Toyota

It's the freshest SUV in the vast Toyota lineup and the most affordable seven-seat diesel, yet the all-new Fortuner will be among the slowest seller in the brand's off-road stables.

Priced from $47,990 to $61,990, Toyota Australia says it can get just 6000 Fortuners next year, meaning it will be comprehensively outsold by the RAV4, Kluger, Prado and LandCruiser.

The Prado it undercuts on price could outsell it three to one, going on recent sales. And the Kluger it offers a diesel alternative to – the two are similarly priced and sized – could sell twice as many.

Toyota Australia executive director of sales and marketing Tony Cramb admits the company has underestimated demand for the Fortuner, predicting it could possibly sell twice as many as the initial 6000 limit.

"My sense is that the volume potential of the vehicle might be double, but I don't know until we start to get real customer feedback," said Cramb. "It's very strong."

Cramb said one of the earlier problems for Fortuner is establishing what is an unknown nameplate.

"No one [in Australia] has ever heard of Fortuner," said Cramb. "We have to put it to market to truly find out [what the demand is]. We'll see what the feedback is."

Cramb said that when the company was planning for the Fortuner it estimated the natural demand at the 6000 units it requested from the factory in Thailand (it's built alongside the Hliux).

He said Toyota was similarly conservative when the Prado went on sale in the late 1990s.

However since revealing the Fortuner to dealers the company realised it was well below initial estimates.

"That allocation is locked in," said Cramb. "We know 6000 is it for 2016."

However Toyota is trying to scoop up any extra demand from other markets and has requested more supply from 2017 onwards.

While it's based on the Hilux underneath, the Fortuner does without the leaf-spring rear-end and drum brakes, instead getting coil springs and disc brakes.

While the Kluger exclusively gets a V6 petrol engine, the Fortuner gets the new 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel also used in the Prado and Hilux.

It produces a modest 130kW of power and more meaningful 450Nm of torque when teamed to the six-speed auto (manual models get 420Nm of torque). The engine is claimed to use 7.8 litres of fuel per 100km for the manual, 8.6L/100km for the auto.

Tow capacity is 3000kg for the manual, 2800kg for the auto.

The Fortuner is claimed to be the biggest development program Toyota has ever undertaken in Australia. An Australian team worked with Toyota engineers from many other countries – including Thailand, Japan and Indonesia – in developing parts of the body, wiring harness, suspension and underbody protection.