2026 Toyota Fortuner to conquer Everest

There’s plenty of optimism surrounding the next-generation 2025 Toyota HiLux ute that could be revealed next year, but it’s that ute’s all-new SUV cousin – the 2026 Toyota Fortuner – that stands to benefit even more from the generational change.

The rugged ladder-frame SUV has never lived up to the Toyota HiLux’s sales dominance, which has been Australia’s top-selling vehicle for last seven years, nor that of rival like the Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X or Pajero Sport.

And newer players like the Mahindra Scorpio, LDV D90, SsangYong Rexton and GWM Tank 300 are making further inroads into the Fortuner’s market share.

But armed with new powertrains, plenty of new tech and more interior space, the redesigned Toyota Fortuner, which should be revealed in 2025 (roughly a year after the all-new Toyota HiLux) and may land in Aussie showrooms by 2026, could steal significant sales from all of them thanks to a tougher, more modern design – as imagined here by Q Cars.

Expected to leverage the same powertrain arsenal being prepped for the next-gen HiLux, the all-new 2026 Toyota Fortuner is almost certain to be offered with a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with 48V mild-hybrid tech, as per selected HiLux variants from 2024 and the new Toyota Prado, churning out at least 150kW/500Nm.

But Toyota has a veritable cornucopia of engine options available that should whet the appetites of family buyers and off-road adventurers alike.

Reports from Japan insist there’s an all-new 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with a fully integrated hybrid system comprising a reasonably powerful electric motor inbound for the new HiLux and Fortuner, but that hasn’t been confirmed by Toyota.

Another option could be the grunty 2.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder hybrid powertrain (273kW/550Nm) that’s available overseas in the new Prado and locally in the Lexus RX, or possibly the non-hybrid version of that turbo-petrol engine (207kW/430Nm).

Other engine options that could be in the mix for Toyota’s next HiLux-based off-road SUV include a detuned single-turbo version of the 227kW/700Nm 3.3-litre turbo-diesel V6 in the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, which is all but certain to be offered in a Dakar Rally-inspired HiLux GR that would finally give the Ford Ranger Raptor some real competition.

Toyota has already released a tougher Fortuner GR Sport model overseas, so it stands to reason that more GR/Sport variants will be on the way for the rugged new seven-seat SUV.

Pie-in-the-sky powertrain possibilities for the new HiLux and Fortuner include full EV versions with single- and dual-motor layouts, and Toyota has even mooted a hydrogen powertrain for its larger upcoming vehicles.

The current Fortuner has a 3100kg braked towing capacity but it’s unclear whether the new version will increase to 3500kg or beyond.

A modified version of the new TNGA-F ladder-frame platform seen under everything from the 300 Series to the new Prado and Lexus GX should meantime improve the on- and off-road refinement and capability of the next-generation Fortuner, which is almost certain to be a bigger vehicle than the current 4.8-metre long model.

The family SUV’s new underpinnings will also bring significantly more interior technology, such as upgraded convenience and smartphone connectivity features, again as per its LandCruiser siblings.

Toyota Australia wouldn’t be drawn on anything related to the new-generation Fortuner, saying there was “nothing to announce today” but asserting that the Japanese brand “regularly improves its product offerings for customers”.

Stay tuned for more details as we get them.

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au