MoneywebDrive: New models Overseas
It’s only due here in 2016, but already Toyota’s
hardcore adherents are champing at the bit
for news of the new Fortuner, South Africa’s
most popular SUV.
Calvyn Hamman, Senior Vice President of
Sales and Marketing at Toyota South Africa
says the brief was very much to stay true to
the “authentic SUV characteristics and genuine 4WD performance” of the original Fortuner, which was released on a global level
a decade ago.
The new model, says Hamman, “can compete in terms of style and aesthetics” with the
best SUVs in the world, adding that “there is
nowhere I could not go in my new Fortuner,
but I’m sure going to do it in style”.
Although the hardy SUV is all new, it nevertheless retains some tried and tested attributes
of the Fortuner we still have on sale here,
notably a body mounted on a separate ladder-frame chassis. This had led to some criticism of the current Fortuner for its distinctly
firm, bouncy ride on tar roads, but it appears
Toyota has taken heed of this.
details of this will be forthcoming closer to
the launch here next year. Transmissions
are also new, including a six-speed automatic and an “intelligent” manual transmission which is said to match revs with ratio selection to ensure smooth appropriate
gear selection.
The media release adapted from the launch
in Thailand states that there is an all-new
frame bolstered by redesigned cross members, side rails and suspension towers that
have been strengthened to enhance torsional rigidity. The suspension – double wishbone
at the