This is the new 2020 Toyota Fortuner SUV

After a myriad of spy shots, leaks, and insider info, the 2020 Toyota Fortuner has officially made its world debut. Revealed just recently in The Land of Smiles, the refreshed SUV gets revised exterior and interior design, improved road manners, and engines, as well as a bevy of high-tech features.

Starting with the most obvious of changes, the 2020 Fortuner features a sleek makeover. It gets a bigger and bolder front grill, along with a sportier-looking front bumper with a distinct silver trim. Meanwhile, LED daytime running lights and foglight bezels provide the Fortuner some added sophistication. To top it all off, redesigned LED taillights, and stylish 18-inch alloy wheels further highlight the Fortuner's more daring looks.

For top-of-the-line variants of the Fortuner (dubbed Legender), the SUV gets a front and rear aerokit, revised LED headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights, huge 20-inch alloy wheels, and a two-tone paint finish.

Open the doors and the Fortuner greets occupants with a new instrument panel, upgraded infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, and wireless charging for smartphones. High-end variants can come with LED ambient lighting, one-touch folding seats for the second-row, soft-touch trimmings, dual-zone automatic climate control, as well as an automatic tailgate that can be opened via a kicking motion below the rear bumper. Leather upholstery, silver, and faux chrome trim, as well as piano black accents, are available for the 2020 Fortuner.

Under the hood, the Fortuner gets a more powerful 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine. Instead of just producing 177 PS with 450 Nm of torque, the revamped motor now cranks out 204 PS along with 500 Nm of torque. This puts the 2.8-liter models of the Fortuner on par with the Ford Everest and Chevrolet Trailblazer in terms of performance. The 2.8-liter engine now also benefits from a balance shaft in order to reduce noise and vibration.

The 2.4-liter turbo-diesel inline-four has been carried-over but now produces slightly more power at 150 PS (+3). Torque, however, remains the same at 400 Nm. Both the 2.8-liter and 2.4-liter engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, with 4WD available as an option.

Besides the engines getting a significant power boost, Toyota has also been busy giving the 2020 Fortuner better road manners. The SUV now comes with an adaptive steering system called variable flow control (VFC). This allows the Fortuner to have lighter steering at low speeds and only having weighted steering at highway speeds.

For the first time, the Fortuner is now available with Toyota Safety Sense (TSS). With it, the SUV can be equipped with intelligent safety features like a pre-collision system, dynamic cruise control (aka adaptive cruise control), and lane departure alert. For better all-around visibility, high-grade models can also be fitted with a 360-degree camera.

The 2020 Toyota Fortuner is now available for booking in Thailand, with the first deliveries to commence in June 2020. With that, we can expect other markets like the Philippines to follow suit in the coming months, or sometime in 2021.