The look certainly isn’t conservative, and it starts off with that rather intricate front end. The model re-emerges amidst fierce competition from a field of all-new competitors, and now it’s up to us to figure out whether lightning can really strike twice.įor style, Toyota really outdid themselves as the new Fortuner looks good both in photos and in the flesh. When it was discontinued in 2004, Toyota was already introducing their IMV line, the culmination of which was the Fortuner that we now know so well.Īnd now we come to this: the second generation Toyota Fortuner. The vehicle was marketed in a limited capacity in some ASEAN countries, but not ours. The SUV featured a 2-3-2 seating arrangement with a 50/50 third row and a rear bench seat. al.), it was successful enough that Toyota Thailand decided to develop their own version and called it the Hilux Sport Rider in 1998. While the 5-seater Hilux Surf was marketed primarily abroad (Japan, USA, et. That vehicle then inspired the three-door Hilux Surf (AKA: 4Runner) in 1984, followed by a second generation model in 1989 with a 5-door variant. It goes back much further than that, tracing its beginnings to the Toyota Trekker a 1981-83 single-cab Hilux that was converted by Winnebago (yes, the RV manufacturer) to become a wagon with a rather rudimentary bench at the back, all done with Toyota’s blessing. Unusually enough, the story of the Fortuner didn’t actually just start in 2005. Now softened up, the Fortuner rides much better than its predecessor. The vehicle was conceived as an affordable entry point for true SUV ownership as opposed to crossover ownership, and people found that irresistible. The launch of the original Fortuner in 2005 served as the pinnacle of the International Innovative Multi-purpose Vehicle line (IMV), a trifecta built on a single platform that included the Hilux pick-up and the Innova MPV. Technically speaking, the Fortuner is classified as a pick-up-based Passenger Vehicle (PPV) in its native Thailand where it is built. The Fortuner’s reign at the top of the SUV food chain for sales was challenged by other automakers, the most successful of which was Mitsubishi with the Montero Sport in 2008 the latter even supplanted the Fortuner as the top-selling vehicle in its class. Good looks, good equipment, seven seats, a new range of common rail turbo-diesels (and a gasoline option), the Hilux’s capable chassis, and brand’s reputation for reliability made it such a winner for Toyota on the rare occasion that you saw one on the showroom floor.īut the times have changed. The first Fortuner was the perfect storm, really. There was a time, not too long ago, when nearly every customer who walked into a Toyota dealership asked the salesman only one thing: the Fortuner. Can its heir show the competition how it’s done one more time? Words by Vince Pornelos Photos by Jerel Fajardoįor nearly 11 years, the Toyota Fortuner has been the undisputed benchmark in its category.
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