Speaking exclusively to Indian Autos Blog, a top official from Toyota Kirloskar Motor played down the possibility of an Automatic Transmission on the Fortuner for the Indian market in 2011 or debuting at Auto Expo 2012.
Mr Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director (Marketing), TKM, when asked of a Fortuner AT debuting in 2011 or Auto Expo 2012 -
As of now there is no plan (for AT) because Fortuner is doing well.
The Fortuner is still enjoying a good waiting period and the company’ focus will be to satisfy existing demands before moving on to other variants.
Speculation on blogs and forums suggests that Fortuner will get a 4-speed automatic transmission and minor facelift by the end of 2011, which we now know isn’t true.
If the current Fortuner was not aggressive enough to look at, Toyota has launched a ‘Sports Package’ for the Fortuner to make it look more mean and aggressive.
This Toyota Fortuner ‘Sport Package’ features:
• Rear Roof Spoiler
• Rear Bumper Spoiler
• Front Bumper Spoiler
• Muffle Cutter
• Floor Mats
And all these accessories will make absolutely no difference to the performance whatsoever. But if you want to make your Fortuner ‘look fast’, be prepared to shell out Rs. 42,650/-
click through to see the image gallery
South Africa (SA) has always been a hot bed for all carjacking and related crimes. The rate of crime in SA is 18 times more than the world average.
Toyota witnessed a rise in carjacking of their cars in the recent past. In fact, the insurance broker Roxsure was planning to not insure the Fortuner because they were very easy to steal.
The criminals get access to the ECU using some home-made equipment and hot wire it to drive it off. As a result, Toyota responded with a new safely device especially for this market.
Recognizing the need to protect the engine bay and the ECU, the automaker has created a stainless steel bracket the will prevent any forced access to the ECU.
Toyota spokesperson Leo Kok -
This device will be offered as an added security device for owners who feel that they would like to further secure their vehicle, in much the same way as one would fit a gear lock or tracking device
It will be available at all major dealers in SA for a very nominal cost. There have been no reported cases in India of Fortuner thefts, but I’m sure Toyota India has taken stock of it’s South African’s friend’s measures to prevent any potentially disastrous situations.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. has unveiled a ‘Fortuner Anniversary Edition’ commemorating 10,000 units sales in its first year of launch in India. The Toyota Fortuner was launched on August 24, 2009 and startled everyone with the response it received.
The anniversary edition will be available in Pearl White colour and comes fitted with accessories. A new front bumper spoiler, a rear roof spoiler and a rear bumper spoiler all in body colour, and a chrome plated muffler cutter are the additions. The Fortuner Anniversary Edition is priced at Rs. 20,45,000 (ex-showroom Delhi)
TKM will produce only 250 units of this special edition
Mr. Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director-Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor -
We would like to thank our customers for making the Fortuner the market leader in its segment, since its launch
The Fortuner’s statement – If you have a really capable product, the customer will not mind paying extra or waiting for it.
It has been a little over a month since Toyota announced reopening of Fortuner bookings, and guess what? The company has stopped taking orders again! Toyota will reopen Fortuner bookings only in January 2011.
Production of the Toyota Fortuner has been boosted to 1,000 units a month at the Bidadi plant. When Toyota opened bookings last month, it said it had 4,000 waiting customers. In a single month that number increased to 6,000 forcing the company to close the gate once again.
When we contacted the local dealership here in Chennai, a salesperson said he knew customers who were willing to wait 8 months for their Fortuner!
Toyota Kirloskar Motor -
Bookings for the Fortuner were reopened between the 1st and 31st of July, which got the company an additional 3,004 bookings, taking the total number of (remaining) customer orders to over 6,056
The Toyota Fortuner is by far created the most excitement and raised highest number of eyebrows in recent times. Yes, the numbers for all major car manufacturers have been good. Records have tumbled and the market is inviting new products with open arms and all of those vehicles have been hatchbacks and sedans, which are affordable hence fast-moving, and practical for Indian travelers.
But how many 20 lakh rupee SUVs have managed to bag 6,000 orders in India?
Has the three year wait caused this phenomenon? or could have Toyota scripted the same success story if they introduced this model before? Can Toyota create a similar effect with the Etios twins?
Toyota Kirloskar Motor in a press release issued yesterday stated that it will reopen Fortuner bookings from July 1. The company had not been accepting any bookings from January after several thousand customers had put in their reservations.
Mr. Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director-Marketing -
We would like to thank our customers for the extremely encouraging response till date. The resounding success of the Fortuner in India also meant a backlog of customer orders and high waiting periods. We have now increased the production of the vehicle to more than 950 units to clear the present backlog of less than 4000 customer orders by this September. We are happy to reopen the bookings from the 1st of July for a limited period, and will start deliveries of the vehicle from October until December 2010.
Launched back in August 2009, the Fortuner has surpassed all expectations. 8,500 vehicles have been delivered to customers and production, which was at 500 units per month, has been boosted to 950 following the response.
click through to read the press release
There has been widespread speculations in East-Asia about Toyota Motor Corporation shifting its production base for international exports from Thailand to Indonesia.
All these speculations angered Thailand’s Board of Investments (BOI) which accused Toyota of damaging investor confidence in the country by the moving its production base to Indonesia.
We had brought you news about Toyota expanding its Toyota Fortuner production in Indonesia to cater to the local markets and exports market like Philippines and the Middle-East.
Toyota has clarified that it wouldn’t be moving out of Thailand. And the CKD units of the Toyota Fortuner for India would continued to be brought from Thailand.
This is also good news for thousands of customers awaiting deliveries of their Fortuners in India as they could be getting their Fortuner SUVs sooner. Once the Indonesian factory is ready, the Toyota Thailand’s plant needs to cater only to a fewer export markets then. So this could result in more number of Fortuners manufactured, implicating lesser waiting periods.
Even after Toyota has closed down the bookings of the Fortuner SUV temporarily, thousands of people are still flocking to Toyota showrooms inquiring about the Fortuner.
A technologically advanced automobile like the Prius reaches customers faster than Fortuner in India.
Toyota Indonesia would be expanding the capacity of its Indonesian manufacturing plant to cater to the huge demand in the home market as well as export markets like the Middle-East and Philippines. The expansion would be complete by August of this year and Toyota Indonesia plans to export around 10,000 units of the Toyota Fortuner in 2010.
This manufacturing facility produces the Toyota Fortuner fitted with the new mammoth 4.0l VVT-i petrol engine that produces 235bhp. This engine is neither for the home market nor for Phillipines but exclusively for the Middle-East. The Indonesian and Filipino Fortuners are fitted with a 2.7l VVT-i petrol engine that churns out 160bhp.
When Indian Autos Blog contacted Mr.Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director of Toyota Kirloskar Motors on this development, this is what he said -
We have no plans to introduce petrol-engined Fortuner in India. As you know, we’re facing a shortage for the existing model (diesel).
This comment from the higher official puts a lid to all speculation on Toyota’s petrol engine plans for Fortuner. Toyota would neither be bringing the 4.0l VVT-i petrol engine nor the 2.7l VVT-i to India anytime soon. Even though the 3.0l diesel Fortuner is selling extremely well in India and is in huge demand, there are customers who would not like the clatter of a diesel engine under the hood. For these customers, it will be a long wait before their call is answered.
