WATCH: Toyota Fortuner undergoes a minor nip and tuck

The updated Toyota Fortuner is a classic example of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Watch the updated Toyota Fortuner

Seven years into its life cycle, Toyota has refreshed South Africa’s favourite medium SUV for the second time by virtue of subtle yet distinctive tweaks of which most are exterior styling enhancements.

The refreshed seven-seater Toyota Fortuner sports a sharper and more aggressive image through black trapezoidal foglamp housings in the front bumper and L-shaped reflector inserts in the rear bumper.

The black front upper mesh grille has been made flatter while the inflated lower aperture now sits on a grey contrast skidplate.

Headlights on 2.8-litre models feature a new “waterfall” LED line guide signature, while 2.4-litre variants have adopted the LED headlamps from the previous 2.8-litre models.

At the rear, the familiar chrome strip connecting the taillights has made way for piano black treatment, while all models will ride on the same new two-tone 18-inch wheels.

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Bi-tone paintwork

Platinum Pearl White paintwork is now standard across the range, with 2.8-litre models offered in bi-tone colour option. This sees the pairing of a black roof, plus spoiler, garnish, outer mirror housings and shark fin antenna with the Platinum Pearl White exterior.

A leather interior is standard across the Toyota Fortuner range, with 2.8-litre variants offered in new dual-tone colour palette which is made up of black and maroon.

All 2.8-litre models also feature revised instrument clusters, USB points for rear passengers and dual-zone climate control. In addition, VX gets panoramic view monitor with selectable view and 11-speaker JBL sound system.

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The powertrains have been kept unchanged. The 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel GD-6 variants produce 110 kW of power and 400 Nm of torque with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The 150kW/500Nm 2.8-litre turbodiesel mill is mated exclusively to a six-speed automatic gearbox.

A rear differential lock is standard across the Toyota Fortuner range, with all 4×4 models equipped with low-range transfer cases for enhanced off-road ability.

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Safe as a house

Standard safety features include smart entry system, ABS with EBD, vehicle stability control, traction control, hill-assist control and trailer sway control.

Reserved for 2.8-litre models are the Toyota Safety Sense suite of driving assistance technologies, which in includes lane keeping system with land departure alert, blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and a brake-synchronised pre-crash system.

2.8 4×4 variants are also equipped with downhill assist control.

The updated Toyota Fortuner sold standard with a the three-year/100 000 km warranty and a nine-services/90 000km service plan.

Toyota Fortuner Pricing

• Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 RB – R653 500
• Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 RB AT – R677 500
• Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 4×4 AT – R709 800
• Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 RB AT – R794 600
• Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 4×4 AT – R873 500
• Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 VX AT – R837 800
• Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 VX 4×4 AT – R897 000

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