TOKYO: Thailand-based websites and forums have been publishing images of 2016 TOYOTA FORTUNER and here’s the latest, and most revealing batch of images yet.
These three images, originally published by HeadLight Mag were so blurry when we first saw them that there was no point sharing them. However, overnight, Twitter user digitalnext has cleaned them up, and allnewpajeroclub has published them, to reveal the Fortuner in full. Toyota executives must be spitting chips right now. Both the new Toyota HiLux and now the Toyota Fortuner reveals have been plagued by internal document leaks and spy shots like few other new model releases. And now the Land Cruiser 200 and Lexus LX 570 are coming in for the same sort of ‘stalking’.
As you can see in these images, which are clearly taken from official sales material, the Fortuner won’t simply be a wagon version of the HiLux. Indeed, it gets it own, unique front-end and grille with sweeping headlights, bumper and fog light treatment. From the side, the Fortuner appears to feature a Range Rover-esque floating roof, while the sweeping rear brake lights cap off a more rounded looking exterior than we’re used to from the Japanese car maker.
On the inside, the Fortuner clearly follows the HiLux in many ways but, like the exterior, is also unique in many ways. For instance, and its worth pointing out that these images are most likely a Thailand-spec Fortuner and, so, the Australian version may look a little different. But, what we can see is that the Fortuner will likely run the same steering wheel and gear shifter to the HiLux, while the central stack is unique. It’s also, like its key rivals, arriving thick and fast in this segment, a seven-seat model.
Beyond the images, we don’t know any more about the Fortuner’s mechanicals, but it’s likely to run the engine line-up from the HiLux and many of that vehicle’s safety and traction and stability systems. We’ll have to wait until the official reveal for full details. Stay tuned to Practical Motoring over the coming weeks for more on the Toyota Fortuner.
