Introduced in
November 2016, the current-gen Toyota Fortuner has been the definitive product
of its segment. At 1,500 average monthly sales, the Fortuner outsells
everything in its class by a considerable gap. Now to push the game a notch
higher, Toyota Kirloskar Motor is planning to launch the Fortuner TRD Sportivo
in India. The same was showcased alongside the Vellfire luxury-MPV to dealers
earlier this month.
For the
uninitiated, the TRD Sportivo is the top-of-the-line, sporty variant of the
Fortuner developed by Toyota’s in-house tuning team - Toyota Racing
Development, hence the suffix 'TRD'. On the outside, it can be easily
recognized as a more sporty looking SUV compared to the regular model thanks to
the bright-red 'TRD' badging all-around the exteriors, larger, TRD Sportivo
design alloy wheels, blacked-out pillars, skid plates and the dual-tone colour
scheme.
Do note that the
styling and equipment of the TRD Sportivo variant vary as per the market. So,
the Fortuner TRD Sportivo you may have seen in Indonesia, Thailand, UAE, etc.
may all look different, and so will the model we'll get in India.
On the inside, the
key features may include 8-way adjustable leather seats, 7-inch touchscreen
infotainment system with navigation, 11-speaker audio system by JBL, engine
start-stop button (in red colour and with TRD branding), carbon-kevlar trim on
the gear knob and steering wheel, rear-view camera and a power tailgate.
TKM may offer TRD
Sportivo shock absorbers to differentiate even the ride quality. The engine(s)
and transmission(s) will be the same, though. The standard variant is available
with a 177 PS 2.8-litrre diesel engine paired with a 6-speed MT/6-speed AT and
a 166 PS 2.7-litre petrol engine linked to a 5-speed MT/6-speed AT. A 4WD
system can be opted if specifying the diesel engine.
Expect the Toyota
Fortuner TRD Sportivo to cost around INR 35 lakh (ex-showroom) in India. It
will reportedly be launched here in September.
