The all-new 2016 Toyota Fortuner SUV has been unveiled at simultaneous events in Thailand and Australia ahead of an October sales debut this year.
The Japanese brand’s new rugged off-road model – which is based on the new-generation Toyota HiLux – is to that ute as the Ford Everest is to the Ranger, the Isuzu MU-X to the D-Max … you get the idea. It’s a wagon, based on a ute.
Unveiling the new SUV today, Toyota Australia marketing director Tony Cramb described the exclusively seven-seat Fortuner as “an in-demand diesel alternative to the petrol-only Kluger range”.
“In demand” may sound like marketing spin, but with Toyota diesel sales topping 127,533 in 2014 – compared to just 34,367 in 2005 – there can be little doubt that the Fortuner has a place in Toyota’s local line-up.
And, with diesel SUV sales now heavily biased toward private buyers, the Fortuner could prove popular with families.
