Toyota Fortuner Mild Hybrid Introduced With ADAS

There is a new Fortuner with improved fuel efficiency in the market. Not in the Indian market but in the South African market. Toyota has introduced a mild-hybrid version of the Toyota Fortuner in South Africa. The Toyota Hilux (pick-up truck) mild-hybrid was already on sale there, but now, the Fortuner MHEV shares its hybrid technology with the former.

Toyota Fortuner MHEV: Design 

In terms of visual appearance, the Fortuner MHEV mild-hybrid version looks very similar to the India-spec Toyota Fortuner Legender. The SUV gets new colour options in South Africa, unlike India where we get one black (monotone) and white dual-tone colour on offer. In parallel, the interior of the car has not received any major design or layout changes. However, it has received cosmetic tweaks here and there to make the cabin look fresh and appealing.

Toyota Fortuner MHEV: Performance

The fuel efficiency has not been the strong suit of this SUV since its inception, but things have changed with the introduction of this mild-hybrid system. The vehicle gets a 2.8-litre, four-cylinder, diesel engine coupled with a 48V mild-hybrid system which adds 16hp and 42Nm, giving the total power output of 201hp and 500Nm. Toyota claims the inclusion of a mild-hybrid system has increased the fuel efficiency of the vehicle by 5% as compared to the diesel variant. Further, it is equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission and has 2WD and 4WD versions.

Toyota Fortuner MHEV: Features

Toyota has loaded the Fortuner MHEV with a 360-degree parking camera, an 8-inch infotainment screen with an 11-speaker sound system, and Toyota Safety Sense ADAS suite which includes features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane keep and departure assistance, forward collision warning, and high beam assist. 

Toyota Fortuner MHEV: Launch Date and Pricing

The Toyota Hilux MHEV was launched in late 2023 in some parts of the world and now the Fortuner has followed its path in South Africa. Currently, there is no update on the India-spec MHEV version of the Fortuner or Hilux. However, we expect Toyota to bring Fortuner MHEV to India by the end of 2024. Currently, Fortuner is on sale in India with two engine options: a 2.8-litre diesel and a 2.7-litre petrol coupled with a 6-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission. The Toyota Fortuner costs Rs 33.43 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base petrol variant, while the Legender starts at Rs 43.66 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base 4X2 diesel variant. Since the Fortuner MHEV is based on the Legender, we expect it to be priced slightly higher than the Legender.