Toyota Motor Corporation has simultaneously unveiled a new seven-seat SUV in Thailand and Australia which shares the underpinnings of the recently revealed 2015 Hilux, and it too will be also be launched in New Zealand.
Toyota New Zealand general manager-product Spencer Morris confirmed today that the new Thai-built Fortuner SUV will be launched locally after the debut of the new Hilux, and that there will be a range of model grades for customers to choose from.
The Fortuner will join the growing number of ute-based diesel-powered seven-seat SUVs sourced from Thailand, including the soon to be launched Ford Everest, the Holden Colorado 7, the Isuzu MU-X, and the Mitsubishi Challenger.
Morris says he can’t yet confirm that the specification of the New Zealand bound Fortuner variants would exactly match the three grades of Australian-bound cars being launched there in October.
“It would be logical for us to have a range of model grades here to meet New Zealand customer expectations, but I cannot confirm anything beyond that to you,” says Morris.
The new Fortuner will expand Toyota’s SUV line-up to six vehicles – joining RAV4,Highlander , FJ Cruiser, LandCruiser Prado and LandCruiser 200 Series.
It provides a diesel alternative to the petrol-only Highlander range as the new entry point for customers looking to purchase a large Toyota diesel SUV.
The Fortuner will be powered by Toyota’s new 2.8-litre direct-injection four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that develops up to 450Nm of torque.
Pricing and specification details for the new Toyota Fortuner will be announced closer to the NZ release date in the fourth quarter of 2015.
