Toyota Fortuner facelift 2021 launched in India at a starting price of Rs 29.98 lakh

Toyota Motor India has launched the facelifted Toyota Fortuner, and revised the pricing of the SUV, now starting at Rs 29.98 lakh. The Toyota Fortuner has been the bestselling premium 4x4 SUV in the Indian market for well over a decade. In its new avatar, the Fortuner gets a raft of cosmetic changes along with some mechanical changes to spruce up the visual, with a few interior changes as well that freshen up the cabin and better power and torque characteristics. Alongside the new Fortuner, Toyota India has also introduced the Fortuner Legender variant which is a sharper looking version of the Fortuner, albeit priced at a premium. The Legender is priced at Rs 37.58 lakh.[caption id="attachment_9176251" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

2021 Toyota Fortuner facelift[/caption]The new Toyota Fortuner carries some significant changes to the front fascia. Its got a new grille design, with a reworked headlamp array and a new LED graphic and larger air intakes placed on the lower corners of the bumper, altering the shape of the bumper. New taillamp array and a new alloy wheel design along with revised splitter on the lower bumpers both front and rear, round of the cosmetic upgrades on the exteriors of the Fortuner. Inside the cabin, there are a few changes, with the overall layout and look staying relatively the same as the previous generation SUV.The instrumentation is a new design, with sharper and more vibrant graphics and the in-cabin ambient lighting also gets some minor revisions. The biggest change, however, comes with the inclusion of connected technology that is par for the course. You get on-board diagnostics, geofencing that allows you to find your car and set off alarms if driven out of the preset area and several other entertainment features that can be accessed on the 8" touchscreen that is also Apple CarPlay compatible.More importantly, the Fortuner engine has got some significant upgrades. The turbocharger has been updated alongside revisions to the cylinder head that bump up power and torque ratings in the diesel motor. From a 177PS, power has gone up to 204PS  whereas torque has also gone up from 450Nm to 500Nm in the automatic transmission variant. The torque band has also gotten wider, with max torque available up to 2800rpm that will enable better drivability in both on-road and off-road conditions as well as improve fuel efficiency.Toyota has also indicated that the Fortuner could get a hybrid system, but that could be 3-4 years away. The automatic transmission has also been improved to provide a more direct feel with quicker shift times. You can also select a variety of driving modes from Eco to Sport mode that alter the engine maps to deliver quicker shift times and tighten up the steering feel. Incidentally, the steering system for the Fortuner has also been worked on to provide better variable speed control and thus more stability and control over the SUV.More mechanical changes ensue, the suspension has been reworked as well, with the coil springs and bushing retuned to improve ride comfort.