Will launch by the end of October
Following the reveal of the exterior of the 2016 Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Australia has gone ahead and showed how the interior will look like. The car will be launched down under by the end of October and is based on the same platform as the Toyota Hilux Revo.
The cabin of the Australia-bound SUV is similar to the one sold in Thailand, with a “waterfall” styled center console (essentially two thick pillars on either side of the console) being the centerpiece. The seats are covered in chocolate brown leather as are the door trims; the thick console pillars will also mirror the colour of the seats but will be finished in premium stitched leather on the top variant. The colour changes are specific to Australia.
There is a clear resemblance to the Hilux pickup with parts like the three-spoke steering wheel, touchscreen display, instrument cluster and climate control knobs being borrowed from the utility vehicle. The 7.0-inch touchscreen display will come as standard across all the variants namely GX, GXL and Crusade.
All three rows of seats will get AC vents for optimum comfort; while storage space will be taken care of by the third row seats that can be folded and affixed to the walls of the boot when not in use. For those who want more space, the second row can also be folded to make room for even more.
The Fortuner will come with standard safety equipment such as stability control, reverse-view camera, and seven airbags with curtain airbags for all three rows of seats. Other features and creature comforts are three 12-volt accessory sockets, central compartment with heating and cooling, automatic headlights and a full-size spare wheel.
Toyota Australia has announced that the Fortuner will get the '1GD’ 2.8 litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission as standard, and to a new 6-speed manual transmission on higher derivatives. It offers 174.3 hp @ 3,400 rpm and 450 Nm at 1,600-2,400 rpm with the auto gearbox, and 420 Nm at 1,400-2,600 rpm with the manual gearbox.
Also Read: 2016 Toyota RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid spotted in Los Angeles
As for India, TKM (Toyota Kirloskar Motor) will very likely showcase the 2016 Fortuner early next year at the 2016 Auto Expo, and launch it in the market in the next fiscal. The next generation model will be powered by the new GD series of 2.4- and 2.8-liter diesel engines having maximum torque rating of 450 Nm, which will reportedly be assembled at a new engine plant in Karnataka.
