After the launch of the Innova Crysta facelift earlier last month, next on the cards for Toyota in India is the Fortuner facelift. Toyota have now announced that the Fortuner facelift is going to be launched in India on January 6, 2021. The Toyota Fortuner facelift was unveiled earlier this year for the Thai market and it came with a host of cosmetic changes, mechanical upgrades and a few new features as well. Along with a facelift for the regular variant, Toyota is also getting the more premium and sportier looking Legender variant of the Fortuner to India. Let's take a closer look at what's in store.
Toyota Fortuner Facelift - Exterior Updates
It is on the face of the SUV where most of the updates are concentrated. The 2021 Toyota Fortuner facelift comes with revised LED projector headlamps and completely new grille which is larger than before but gets far less chrome than the current model. It also sports a new mesh-pattern. The biggest change is the new bumper which looks way more sporty with deep set fog lamp housings and large air dams. The Legender again gets a completely different face with its own unique bumper that looks even sportier along with a blacked-out sleeker grille and new full-LED headlamps with sequential LED turn indicators.
At the back, the only change to the standard Fortuner facelift are the slimmer-looking LED tail-lights. The Legender variant further gets a sportier looking bumper. There are no changes to the side profile of the SUV but it gets a new design for the 18-inch alloy wheels. The Legender variant could be sporting a different design for its own 18-inch alloy wheels.
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Toyota Fortuner Facelift - Interior Updates
The 2021 Toyota Fortuner facelift and the Toyota Fortuner Legend both have the same interior design. Compared to the current Toyota Fortuner, the design isn’t new. New features on board are the new Optitron meter with a 4.2-inch MID, wireless charger (in the Legend variant), new ambient lighting (in the Legend variant), bigger 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system (in the Legend variant).
The standard Fortuner too is set to receive a larger 8.0-imch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Other new features also include 8-way power-adjustable driver and co-driver's seats, a 9-speaker JBL audio system and a 360-degree camera.
Toyota Fortuner Facelift - Engine and Specs
Under the hood, the Toyota Fortuner Legender variant will be powered by the 2.8L diesel engine that has been significantly updated to now produce 204hp and 500Nm of torque. That's a healthy upgrade over 177hp and 420Nm of torque in the regular Fortuner. However, it is yet to be confirmed whether Toyota will be offering this engine in the same tune in the regular Fortuner or it continues in its previous spec.
Conversely, Toyota could be discontinuing the current 150hp 2.4L diesel engine in the Fortuner. It is however expected to continue with the 166hp 2.7-litre petrol engine from the current model. Both engines will come with a 6-speed manual and automatic gearbox option but the 4WD system will likely be reserved for the diesel variants only.
The top-spec Toyota Fortuner is currently priced at INR 34.43 lakh (ex-showroom) in India and we expect the facelifted version to carry a little bit of a premium. The Toyota Fortuner Legender however will be considerably more expensive than the regular version, with prices expected to start at around INR 43 lakh. It will continue its rivalry with other three-row, ladder-on-frame SUVs like the Ford Endeavor, the MG Gloster or the Mahindra Alturas G4.
Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Toyota updates and other four-wheeler news.
