The spy images of what is being touted as a baby Toyota Fortuner for India are being circulated around online. Toyota had revealed its Rangga pickup truck recently. It is based on the IMV 0 platform. In essence, it is a more affordable avatar of the highly popular Hilux pickup truck with almost similar dimensions. It is evident that the Japanese carmaker is still using the IMV platform to keep costs down in emerging markets. At present, the cost of Fortuner is well over Rs 51 lakh, ex-showroom in India. That is clearly in the premium high-end luxury category. To make it more accessible, Toyota might be planning a rugged baby Fortuner.
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Baby Toyota Fortuner Spied in India?
This post comes from sirishcharndran and evoindia on Instagram. It captures a test mule wrapped under heavy camouflage plying on the road. The rear profile is visible in the spy pics. One could clearly see the sleek 7-shaped LED taillamps, a shark fin antenna and roof rails. The silhouette does not reveal much else. In fact, the front profile is somewhat evident too. There are, again, 7-shaped LED DRLs which sit on the top of the bonnet and extend vertically to the sides as well. Perhaps the headlamp cluster is positioned vertically. But it is not so clear. Also, there might be a huge space between the DRLs for a colossal grille.
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Baby Toyota Fortuner
There are multiple reports floating around on the internet regarding the arrival of a more affordable Fortuner. In recent times, Toyota has displayed products like the Rangga and Champ pickup trucks which also have SUV iterations. These pickups were showcased at the auto shows. Essentially, they are not utilizing the ladder-frame TNGA platform, but rather ladder-frame IMV architecture to ensure that they remain rugged and relatively inexpensive. There are not many details about the powertrain options. Just for reference, the Toyota Hilux Champ has three engines – a 2.0-litre petrol generating 137 hp / 183 Nm, a 2.7-litre petrol producing 164 hp / 245 Nm and a 2.4-litre diesel mill churning out 148 hp / 343 Nm (400 Nm in automatic) of peak power and torque respectively. These engines pair with either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. Let us see if Toyota brings a baby Fortuner to India at around Rs 25 lakh.
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Author’s Note
Certainly, this news has stirred up enthusiasm among Toyota enthusiasts. What adds significant intrigue is the potential development of a more compact Fortuner derived from this concept. Presently, the Fortuner comes with a hefty price tag, reaching a staggering Rs 60 lakh on-road for the top model. Utilizing this pickup truck as a base model could enable Toyota to introduce a more affordable variant of the Fortuner. Such a move is likely to generate increased demand and excitement for this already popular SUV. However, confirmation of its arrival in our market is something we’ll need to patiently await.
