Toyota has finally taken the wraps off its iconic SUV in India, the Fortuner. Due for a facelift for a long time now, Toyota has finally come around to doing it. This update not only involves cosmetic changes to the outside, a few key additions on the inside but also a significant upgrade under the hood. Also, with facelifts come higher prices, making the new Fortuner substantially more expensive than the previous model. While we have made a detailed analysis of what the new Fortuner will bring, we will quickly look at the changes in this post.
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2021 Toyota Fortuner – Changes outside and inside
The facelifted Fortuner is launched keeping the falling sales in mind. The reason could be that the customers were waiting for this facelift. Now that the facelift is here, we expect the sales to rise further. The outside of the new Fortuner is made to look very sharp with slimmer new LED Headlamps and tail lamps redesigned front bumpers and a new chrome insert on the front grille. There are new 18-inch alloys to give it a distinct look. The top-spec Legender variant has unique elements in the LED Projector Headlamps and different front grille as well as bumper which houses turn indicators.
The changes to the interior are what the customers wanted. The biggest and much-needed change is the addition of the new larger 8-inch Digital Infotainment System with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and connected tech. Apart from that minor changes include 8-way power-adjustable and ventilated front seats, front parking sensors, a new interior colored theme and an 11-speaker JBL Audio System. The Legender trim gets a hands-free boot opening feature, ambient coloured interior lighting and wireless charging.
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2021 Toyota Fortuner – Engine and Transmission
The new Fortuner does include a change under the bonnet as well. The 2.7-litre petrol engine will continue, which makes 166hp and 245Nm. It comes with either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. While this engine remains unchanged, the 2.8-litre diesel engine makes more power than before. It makes 204hp in comparison to 177hp previously. In the manual version, this engine produces 420Nm of torque, but will the automatic, it will produce a mammoth 500Nm. This is a substantial increase in the power and torque output. This will surely make a lot of difference in terms of how the vehicle drives, be it on the highway or off-road.
Additionally, the new Fortuner will also see changes to the suspension setup. The new soft suspension is designed especially for our markets to enhance the ride quality of the passengers. This is done because the ladder-on-frame chassis is not ideal for low-speed bump absorption and handling.
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2021 Toyota Fortuner – Prices and Rivals
The new Fortuner does come with a premium over the outgoing model. However, considering it is only a facelift, the increase in the prices is rather high. The prices for the new Fortuner start at Rs 29.98 lakh and the top-end trim, Legender costs a whopping Rs 37.58 lakh, ex-showroom, which is substantially higher when compared to the competition. The direct competitors of the Fortuner include Ford Endeavour, MG Gloster and Mahindra Alturas G4. Toyota seems very confident with its product, which has enabled them to keep the prices high for all its variants. How exactly the customers receive the new Fortuner is something that we will find out soon!
