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Marton Pettendy1 Apr 2015
NEWS

Toyota's Everest fighter leaked

First images of new Fortuner leaked ahead of its Australian release early next year

Indian website Fly-Wheel.com has published the first images of what appear to be Toyota's next-generation Fortuner, which as we revealed in February will be the last of 10 new models Toyota Australia will release by next February.

Wearing a more modern version of the design seen on the previous Fortuner, which was never sold here, the new model continues with a sloping D-pillar and wears slimmer projector headlights, LED daytime running lights and a chromed grille and fog lights.

Toyota Australia's all-new seven-seat off-road SUV -- which will bring to eight the number of SUVs Toyota sells in Australia -- will be a direct competitor for Ford's upcoming Everest, as well as the Holden Colorado 7, Isuzu MU-X and Mitsubishi Challenger.

As with all those SUVs, the Fortuner rides on a ute-based full ladder chassis – rather than a car-type monocoque platform used by the likes of Toyota's Camry-based Kluger and Ford's Falcon-based Territory – in this case shared with the redesigned HiLux that's due on sale around October.

Pre-production prototypes of the new Fortuner, which was developed with extensive input by Toyota Australia and will share its engines and other mechanicals with the next HiLux, have been spotted throughout Asia.

Apart from durability testing, both the new Fortuner and HiLux underwent chassis development work Down Under at the hands of the Melbourne-based Toyota Technical Centre.

The previous Fortuner (pictured) was never sold in Australia, but Toyota Style Australia was involved in its midlife makeover.

Built in Thailand, Indonesia, India and Argentina, the current Fortuner seven-seater is available with 3.0-litre turbo-diesel, 2.7-litre four-cylinder petrol and 4.0-litre petrol V6 engines matched to two-wheel drive and selectable four-wheel drive systems, the latter with a two-speed transfer case.

According to Fly-Wheel.com, production of the new Fortuner, which will be larger in all directions, begins in Thailand in July, with first exports beginning in August.

Expect the Fortuner to be positioned between the RAV4 and Prado in Toyota's local SUV line-up -- which also comprises the Kluger, FJ Cruiser and three LandCruiser wagons – and priced from about $40,000.

In the absence of a diesel Kluger, Fortuner will provide Australia’s number one vehicle brand with an oil-burning off-road SUV positioned beneath the Prado, the nation's top-selling large SUV.

While Toyota Australia continues to explore its micro-car options, its next additional is likely to be another SUV, this time a compact SUV to slot beneath the RAV4.

Toyota Australia released a facelifted Prius c in February, when it promised to release 10 new models within the following 12 months.

Since then it has released upgraded HiAce models and its next launch will be the facelifted Camry in April, followed within weeks by the facelifted Aurion, a facelifted Prius v mid-year, the redesigned HiLux around October, a 200 Series LandCruiser upgrade late this year and the fourth-generation Prius in early 2016.

No upgrades are currently planned for the Yaris, Corolla, Rukus, Tarago, 86, Kluger, Prado, FJ Cruiser or 70 Series LandCruiser or HiAce, but Toyota could this year also introduce the new RAV4 Hybrid to be unveiled at the New York show this week.

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