New Fortuner announced

[haven]

Toyota has announced a second generation Fortuner, the company's midsize SUV based on the HiLux pickup. Autoblog has photos and preliminary specs. Chances of seeing the diesel powered Fortuner in USA? zero.

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/07/19/toyota-fortuner-australia-official/

 

[4xdog]

I got to ride a few hundred km in a 2015 3.0L D-4D Fortuner the other week. Decent vehicle. But I gotta say that comparing the ride of the Fortuner and a Land Rover Defender 110 over the same dirt tracks was eye opening. I'm normally a Toyota fanboy, and have had at at least one in the family for over thirty five years, but the Land Rover had it ALL OVER the Fortuner where rough-road ride quality in a fully-loaded vehicle was concerned.

Fingers crossed they make some improvements for the next one -- as it stands, I don't think I'd want one

 

[4xdog]

BTW -- there's a new Hilux coming later this year, too, isn't there? One guesses the Fortuner and Hilux will continue to share a lot of platform-related stuff.

To my eye, the new Fortuner looks more like a Honda or Mazda than a Toyota...

 

[Mrknowitall]

the Land Rover had it ALL OVER the Fortuner where rough-road ride quality in a fully-loaded vehicle was concerned.

the Defender definitely has fewer compromises to its suspension. It really is at its best on rough ground at low to moderate speeds.

I see the Fortuner as a good way for the 4Runner to live on, while cutting costs. The current 4R is too close to the Highlander (for most of the buying public) and nearing the end of its life cycle.

 

[haven]

"the Land Rover had it ALL OVER the Fortuner where rough-road ride quality in a fully-loaded vehicle was concerned"

Makes sense. The LR 110 is rated for 3000 kg GVM, while the Fortuner is 2500 kg GVM, a difference of almost 1300 lb.