The Toyota Fortuner facelift was unveiled internationally earlier this year, and is expected to go on sale in India by late Jan-2021
The Toyota Fortuner facelift is expected to arrive in the Indian market early next year, most probably by last week of January. Ahead of that, few dealers in India have started accepting bookings for the upcoming facelifted model, albeit unofficially. The new version sports changes to the front fascia, including a new front bumper and grille, along with restyled headlamps. The alloy wheels also get a new design, but other than that, the changes are minimal.
The Fortuner facelift has already been spied on Indian roads, undergoing road tests. Interestingly, the test mule had emissions-testing equipment strapped onto it. The current Fortuner already complies with BS6 norms, and wouldn’t have required an emissions test. Thus, we speculate that the upcoming model will probably have a more powerful engine, the same as on the international model.
The engine in question is a 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV diesel engine. This inline-4, turbocharged engine can generate a peak power of 204 PS and a maximum torque of 500 Nm. In comparison the diesel engine option on the current Fortuner is also a 2.8-litre unit, but with 177 PS and 420 Nm on tap. Transmission choices are expected to remain the same as before – a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic.
In the Indian market, the Fortuner is also available with a 2.7-litre, inline-4, naturally aspirated petrol engine. This motor will remain unchanged in the facelift model. It generates 166 PS and 245 Nm of peak power and torque, and can be paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. The petrol variants will only be available in a rear-wheel-drive format, while the diesel models will be RWD on lower variants and AWD on higher ones.
The facelift version is expected to offer a lot of features and equipment, like larger touchscreen infotainment system (with Apple Carplay and Android Auto), automatic climate control, a 360-degree camera, wireless smartphone charger, and cabin mood lighting. LED projector headlamps with integrated LED DRLs will be offered, along with LED taillights.
The 2021 Toyota Fortuner will have a slightly higher price tag than the current model, which costs between Rs. 28.66 lakh and Rs. 36.88 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). It will continue to rival the likes of Ford Endeavour, Mahindra Alturas G4, and MG Gloster. There’s a premium variant of the SUV as well, christened ‘Fortuner Legender’, but we’re not sure when or if it will arrive in India.