Toyota out to conquer yet again with the all-new Fortuner

Toyota Motor Co. has launched the second-generation Fortuner SUV in Thailand and Australia. The new Fortuner was designed in Australia, while Thailand will be its main production base. The new car promises higher levels of refinement, better fuel-efficiency, and improved safety.

More importantly, for most consumers: How does it look? The new Fortuner features beady eyes with LED elements, flanking a wide, chrome-trimmed grille. The design is supposed to embody “rough but cool,” with three prominent lines making up the main shape. The lightning-bolt kink in the greenhouse will cause love-hate reactions, but it’s certainly interesting. The C- and D-pillars are blacked-out for a “floating roof” effect when viewed from the rear. Aside from the LED daytime running lights and headlamps, the rear lights also feature LED light bars across their width.

SEE: All-new Toyota Fortuner in photos

The new Fortuner measures 4795mm x 1855mm wide, an increase of 90mm in length and 15mm in width. Height is 15mm lower—at 1835mm—finally making the Fortuner wider than it is tall.

Wheelbase is unchanged at 2750mm, and ground clearance is a lofty 193mm.

Inside, the Fortuner goes for a more premium look and feel. The multifunction steering wheel is adjustable for reach and rake. Twin leather-clad pillars define the center of the dashboard, where the large touchscreen and pushbutton climate control reside. An eight-way power driver’s seat is available.

Synthetic leather and metallic accents are used for the seat trim and dashboard. The seven-seat interior features three rows of seats. As with the previous model, the second row splits 60:40, now with one-touch fold and lift for entry into the rear seat. The third row splits 50:50 and can fold into the floor or sideways.

Interior amenities will include smart key with push-button start, cooler bin above the glovebox, 220-volt AC socket and three 12-volt DC outlets. The speaker system uses six speakers, and the center display can show images from the backup camera.

Powering the new Fortuner are a new range of diesel engines, and one gasoline option. The base model gets a 2.4-liter inline-four turbodiesel with 150 horsepower and 400 Newton-meters, while top variants use a 2.8-liter inline-four turbodiesel with 177 HP and 450 Nm. Toyota reckons that the new 2.8-liter will deliver 25 percent better fuel-efficiency than the outgoing 3-liter, and will also be smoother and quieter.

The focus here is on low end torque, with just as much on tap from the 2.8-liter at just 1200 revolutions per minute as the peak torque of the old engine. There’s also a 2.7-liter gasoline engine with 166 HP and 245 Nm. The six-speed automatic transmission comes with paddle shifters.

Interestingly, the bigger engine is now available for the 4×2 model, an acknowledgement by Toyota that many owners will want more power while not necessarily be interested in going offroad. The 4×4 model does not have full-time all-wheel-drive but instead a rotary switch to change from high-range two- and four-wheel-drive, and low-range four-wheel-drive. The fuel tank has been enlarged to 80 liters to increase the SUV’s range.

Like its Hilux sibling, the Toyota Fortuner is built on a stronger ladder-frame chassis. It remains to be seen if the new four-link rear suspension system will finally tame the infamously choppy ride of the first-generation SUV. Tire size goes up an inch to 265/60-18.

Fortuner will have more active safety features. These include traction and stability control, hill ascent assist and hill descent control. It will have seven airbags.

The first Fortuner was marketed under the modest slogan “The World is Mine.” A then state-of-the-art drivetrain and best-in-class interior enabled the first-generation Fortuner to quickly rack up sales. In Thailand alone, Toyota has sold more than 220,000 units. In the Philippines, it still ranks near the top-of-the-sales charts even as it is already on its way out.

The new car is being hyped as the “New Legend of the Pride.” With its new engines promising better fuel-efficiency, and a new chassis that is ready to tackle rough and flooded streets, it seems poised to take an easy number one spot in its first few months of release.

The battlefield will not be as lopsided as in 2005, as models like the upcoming Ford Everest will be able to match it feature for feature. Other models like the Chevrolet Trailblazer are competitive, and then there’s the all-new Mitsubishi Montero Sport also coming soon. Toyota will count on its industry-leading brand appeal and resale value, as well as its massive sales and service network, to likely keep the lead.

Pricing will be another factor that we won’t know for some weeks yet. Pricing in Thailand starts at the equivalent of P1.586 million for the base 2.4-liter diesel manual car, all the way up to P2.116 million for the top 4×4 model.