Toyota has given the Fortuner a smaller 2.5-litre diesel engine but the price of the vehicle isn’t cheaper due to the TRD kit on the lower capacity model. The 3.0L 4×4 Fortuner gets an automatic variant.

Toyota Fortuner 4x4 Automatic
The Toyota Fortuner gets minor changes on the outside for 2015

Toyota has just updated the Fortuner for 2015, ahead of the launch of the next generation model which is due by the end of this year. The company has made only minor changes to the car along with introducing a new engine. The 4×4 version of the Toyota Fortuner gets all black interiors along with a touch-screen display with DVD and voice assisted navigation. Exterior changes to the vehicle include a silver bezel for the front foglamps, smoke painted headlights and tail lights along with 17-inch, 12-spoke, dark grey alloy wheels.

Toyota has also launched the 4×4 automatic variant of the Fortuner and the vehicle is now offered in 4 trims – 4×2 Manual, 4×2 Automatic, 4×4 Manual and 4×4 Automatic. However there are six variants on offer as all the above mentioned trims are offered with the 3.0-litre engine while the Japanese automaker has also given the Toyota Fortuner a 2.5-litre diesel engine which is available in both manual and automatic gearbox options. Both the manual and automatic are 5-speed units. The smaller 2.5-litre engine is the same unit seen on the Innova but in a much higher state of tune.

The Toyota Fortuner 2.5L is a rear-wheel drive vehicle and there is no 4WD variant on offer. The 2494cc, 4-cylinder engine produces 144 PS of peak power at 3400 RPM and 343 Nm of peak torque between 1600-2800 RPM. The 3.0-litre diesel engine offers more power, generating 171 PS at 3600 RPM and 360 Nm of torque between 1400-3200 RPM (for the automatic while the manual makes 343 Nm of torque). The weight difference between the base Fortuner 2.5L MT and top-end Fortuner 3.0L 4WD AT is a good 150 kgs, so the smaller engine will be more frugal while also not compromising too much on performance. The 2.5L variant is only offered in white and silver colours while the 3.0L version is offered in 7 colours – pearl white, super white, silver, gold, black, grey and a new bronze shade.

Toyota is offering the Fortuner 2.5L with the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) package as standard which includes a dual tone front grille, dual tone front and rear bumper spoilers, body stripes, rear spoiler, TRD Sportivo badging and a muffler cutter. The 2.5L model loses out on projector headlights, cruise controls (on the AT) and the navigation system but comes with all other equipment offered in the more powerful version of this popular SUV.

2015 Toyota Fortuner Prices (ex-showroom, Mumbai) –

* Fortuner 2.5L MT – Rs. 24.35 lakhs
* Fortuner 2.5L AT – Rs. 25.35 lakhs
* Fortuner 3.0L 4×2 MT – Rs. 24.18 lakhs
* Fortuner 3.0L 4×2 AT – Rs. 25.18 lakhs
* Fortuner 3.0L 4×4 MT – Rs. 25.50 lakhs
* Fortuner 3.0L 4×4 AT – Rs. 26.50 lakhs

The above pricing shows there isn’t much difference between the 2.5L and 3.0L models, in fact the 3.0L Fortuner 2WD is cheaper than the 2.5L version of the vehicle. That’s because the 2.5L Fortuners come with the TRD kit as standard. The price difference between manual and automatic variants is exactly Rs. 1 lakh.

Toyota Fortuner 4x4 Automatic
The 4×4 AT model gets all black interiors instead of a dual-tone finish
2015 Toyota Fortuner
The 2.5L engined Fortuner has been introduced to attract more buyers