The updated Toyota Fortuner has been spied again undergoing testing in Thailand ahead of its likely debut next year.
Like the HiLux it’s based on, the new Fortuner will share a lot in common with the model it’s about to replace.
Judging from the spy photos, which were published on Instagram by kurdistan_automotive_blog_, the 2027 Fortuner will have new, more sharply styled front and rear ends.
Squarer headlights flank a two-part grille, with the lower section featuring mesh insert set into a V-shaped aperture.
The redesigned front fascia looks as though it is accompanied by a new set of fenders with some sharper creases.
It looks as though the doors, or at the very least the door apertures, will be retained from today’s car. The wing mirrors seem to be carry-over units too, but, unless our eyes are playing tricks, the side steps are new.
While this prototype has camouflage over the rear door’s quarter light, as well as the rear side window, spy photos from earlier this year indicated the new Fortuner will retain the current generation’s kinked window graphic.
At the back, the tailgate has been refashioned with crisper detailing. While we can’t see the lighting signature fully, the outboard tail-lights consist of a series of segmented displays arranged into an L-shape.
The tail-lights, or at least a piece of plastic garnish linking them together, will stretch the entire width of the car.
While the HiLux is one of Toyota’s most important vehicles, the ninth-generation model, launched in 2025 is based heavily on the eighth-generation vehicle, with the doors brought over untouched and the platform carried over with updates.
It’s no surprise, then, that the new Fortuner follows the same formula. If precedence is anything to go by, the Fortuner could have a unique dashboard and a slightly more luxurious interior.
Drivetrains are likely to be largely shared with the latest HiLux, which is currently available globally with a 120kW 2.7-litre naturally-aspired four-cylinder petrol engine, and a 150kW 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel.
The HiLux is also offered with a 175kW 4.0-litre V6 and a 144kW electric drivetrain in some markets.
In Australia, the Fortuner didn’t find much success, with a tad over 37,000 sold since its launch in 2015. Sales peaked in 2022 when 4614 found new homes.
Although it has a higher asking price, Toyota shifted roughly 215,000 Prados during the same period.
The Fortuner was axed in Australia in 2025, and the local arm has previously indicated it has no plans to introduce the new model here.
Despite this, the Fortuner continues to be sold in many other parts of the world, including Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, where it is the brand’s cheapest seven-seat SUV.
