2026 Toyota Fortuner imagined, but still not happening
This is what the internet thinks a new Fortuner would look like now that we know everything about the new HiLuxThe News
A second-generation Toyota Fortuner has been imagined in the style of the ninth-generation HiLux it’d be based on, pairing the ute’s new ‘Cyber Sumo’ aesthetic with largely carried-over mechanicals and a wagon body.
The Key Details
- 2026 Toyota Fortuner rendered unofficially
- Looks exactly like a HiLux wagon – which it is
- Toyota Australia not planning a second-gen to sit below Prado
- Japanese-built 4Runner likely a better option
The Finer Details
Toyota Australia announced way back in July that it was axing the venerable Fortuner and that there wasn’t a direct successor waiting in the wings.
The issue primarily came down to sales; the Fortuner never sold as well as the more advanced and refined Prado, nor the road-focused Kluger seven-seater it shared a segment with.
Its axing coincided with the approach of the ninth-generation Toyota HiLux, but what if there was actually a new Fortuner in the pipeline?
Well, if there was, it would almost certainly look a lot like the vehicle in these unofficial renders by automative digital creator Theottle.
Seeing as the new HiLux is more of a heavy facelift rather than the all-new product it arguably should’ve been, it makes sense for the hypothetical new Fortuner to retain most of the old model’s sheet metal and pair it with updated front and rear fascias – which it does.
Under the skin would be a similarly reworked but ultimately carried-over IMV ladder-frame platform, and the same would apply to the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel powertrain.
The Road Ahead
Mid-way through January, Toyota Australia still says it doesn’t have a Fortuner successor or replacement on the way, meaning those after an off-road capable Toyota will have to continue fronting up at least $72,500 (plus on-road costs) for a Prado.
With the Prado’s popularity and consistency of the soccer-mum Kluger, Toyota doesn’t really need a third large SUV in its ranks, but if it did want to provide a more accessible off-roader, one option could be the North American 4Runner, which just so happens to be built in the same Japanese plant as the Prado, LandCruiser, Lexus GX, and Lexus LX.
Offered in its target market with a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol engine or a 2.4-litre turbo-hybrid system, the 4Runner could feasibly come ere as more of a recreational off-roader than the posher and more tow-friendly – 2722kg braked vs 3500kg – Prado.
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