Updated Toyota Fortuner

Where market share is concerned, the Toyota Fortuner is a front-runner in the medium SUV segment, holding a 40% slice of the pie. On average, 800 Fortuners are sold monthly, which isn’t a small figure. Suffice it to say, it is a South African favourite and has received some cosmetic surgery for better or worse.

As manufacturers like BMW become bolder with their vehicle designs, so does Toyota. One would assume that the typical Fortuner driver is mature and conservative, but the styling cues in the latest version of the vehicle tell a different story. Its face is now bold and angular in a not-very-subtle way. It also has newly designed headlamps with sequential LED indicator lamps in the 2.8 variants. The rear end has also been re-sculptured with an angular squared-off bumper and re-designed taillight clusters. A new skid plate is part of the changes and tweaks.

Not a lot has changed on the inside, aside from the tweaks made to the 2.8 variant’s cabin. It now comes with a two-tone leather colour treatment, with black being the dominant colour and a touch of maroon on the door panels and stitching. A rear USB port has also been included in 2.8 models. Everything else remains unchanged, like the JBL audio system and TFT display. You do of course get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which replace the conventional satellite navigation system. All safety systems from the pre-facelift have been carried over, with 2.8 models featuring a lane-keeping system, blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise to name but a few.

Looking at the model range and specs, the trusted 2.4 GD-6 as well as the 2.8 GD-6 engines are still on offer. In the 2.4 you’ll get 110kW and 400Nm through a 6-speed manual or automatic. Models with the 2.8-litre engine also produce the original 150kW and 500Nm but only through the 6-speed auto gearbox.

2.4 GD-6 RB MT - R653,500

2.4 GD-6 RB AT - R677,500

2.4 GD-6 4x4 AT - R709,800

2.8 GD-6 RB - R794,600

2.8 GD-6 RB VX - R837,800

2.8 GD-6 4x4 - R873,500

2.8 GD-6 4x4 VX - R915,400

Should you be interested in a new or used Toyota Fortuner, or even something similar like the Ford Everest, browse through changecars.co.za and find what suits you best. We pride ourselves in being the website you can trust in a world where scams and unscrupulous businesses are a daily thing. If you're up for a dose of some of the best motoring content South Africa has to offer, watch weekly episodes of our television show ALL THINGS MOTORING.

Gugu Masuku - In proud association with CHANGECARS