Next Toyota Fortuner tipped to get mild-hybrid diesel power

With the all-new Toyota Fortuner expected to debut next year, likely to be followed by the Hilux, a report from Thailand has claimed that the rumoured diesel/electric powertrain will become a reality in the same year.

First mentioned in 2019 as possibly heading for the then still being developed Land Cruiser 300, headlightmag.com claims the system will consist out of the current 2.8 GD-6 engine and a mild-hybrid belt-driven starter/generator poised to produce more than the current 150kW/500Nm.

Despite the online publication disclosing no further details or actual confirmation from Toyota, it states that the setup will aid fuel consumption, increase low-rpm torque and optimise acceleration thanks to being an effective overboost for short bursts.

As with the Hilux, the Fortuner will move to Toyota’s new body-on-frame TNGA-F platform, which debuted with the Land Cruiser 300 and has since become the foundation for the Tundra, Sequoia and the Lexus LX.

Optimised for the electrification as evident by the i-Force Max units used in the Tundra and Sequoia, the mild-hybrid diesel is expected to compliment the rumoured new 2.5-litre hybrid petrol that will allegedly replace the stalwart normally aspirated 2.7 first used in the Hilux of two generations ago.

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“At this time, a (pure) diesel powertrain is not the best. It’s difficult to meet regulations. So, we need to change from diesel to a diesel-plus-hybrid system, or also another powertrain,” Toyota Chief Engineer, Yoshiki Konishi, told Autocar India in January last year.

“We have two types of hybrids – one is a strong hybrid and the second, a mild hybrid. So, these are one of our solutions”.

Based on HeadlightMag‘s claim, the Fortuner, updated in South Africa last year, will serve as the catalyst for the mild-hybrid system, before it is made available on the Hilux and possibly also the new Land Cruiser Prado reports have claimed will also bow next year.

Expect more details regarding the Fortuner and Hilux, whose US-twin, the Toyota Tacoma is currently undergoing testing, to emerge over the coming weeks and months.