Toyota South Africa has given the popular Toyota Fortuner a minor update for 2023. We drove the Japanese brand’s 7-seater adventure SUV in the Great Karoo to see whether the subtle changes are enough to keep it near the top of local sales charts.
What’s new on the Toyota Fortuner 2023?
Toyota South Africa Motors’ (TSAM) juggernaut bakkie and bakkie-based models – the Hilux and Fortuner – tend to have particularly light, but regular, updates throughout their life cycles. This year, it was the turn of the Fortuner, which has received new 18-inch wheels, a reshaped front bumper, as well as revised grille- and LED designs. Also, the front and rear indicator elements now light up sequentially.
A new white/black option has been added to the colour palette (but the 2-tone scheme is only available on 2.8-litre derivatives). The 2.4-litre variants, in turn, gain the lighting design from the pre-facelift 2.8-litre versions and have been updated cosmetically to more closely resemble their larger-engined siblings.
The Toyota’s interior is largely unchanged in terms of specification, bar a red/black leather combination that complements the new 2-tone exterior option. According to TSAM, this update to the Fortuner does not incorporate any changes to the suspension, steering setup or NVH levels of the model.
2023 Toyota Fortuner price and specs
Does the 2023 Toyota Fortuner have more power?
No, both the 2.4-litre- and the 2.8-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel engines’ power/torque outputs remain the same for the 2023 model. That means the Fortuner ships with either 110 kW/400 Nm (2.4-litre) or 150 kW/500 Nm (2.8-litre), with your choice of 4×2 or 4×4. Only the entry-level 2.4-litre 4×2 version can be specced with a manual transmission, the rest are all equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
We only sampled the top-spec VX derivative on the local launch, which included the red/black interior.
Ford may have a 184 kW/600 Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel in its arsenal, but the power and torque delivery of the 2.8-litre Fortuner feels ample, especially considering it virtually matches the Everest’s bi-turbo 2.0-litre 4-pot (154 kW/500 Nm). Compare the 2.8GD-6 4×4 VX with the Everest 2.0 BiTurbo 4×4 Sport.
Toyota has evidently quickly caught up in the power struggle that appears to be happening in the bakkie segment, in which an increasing number of buyers seek multi-purpose vehicles (like a Fortuner) that can tow large trailers, carry 7 people and still easily pull off rapid overtaking manoeuvres at around 120 kph.
While Toyota does offer this engine in a more powerful spec in the Hilux GR-Sport, the Fortuner GR-Sport hasn’t been confirmed for our market, TSAM is considering its business case for the local market.
Has the interior been updated?
The new dual-tone leather is a subtle upgrade that offers a modicum of premium design without being overly showy. Toyota doesn’t have a massive infotainment system to match the Ford Everest’s (yet) so it feels comparatively a bit basic in functionality, but you still get the necessities such as Android Auto and Apple Carplay. It would be nice to have more than 1 USB port up front to match the 2 ports in the rear.
How Toyota Fortuner will lose its title as SA’s best-selling SUV
Is the Toyota Fortuner better to drive?
Despite TSAM claiming that nothing has changed in terms of the SUV’s suspension or steering setups, we couldn’t help but feel that the 2023 Fortuner seemed a little more refined than the outgoing model.
We drove the 2.8GD-6 4×4 VX on a variety of asphalt and dirt roads (including the Swartberg Pass) and, whether it be the steering, which feels a bit better weighted and accurate, or the ride refinement and low cabin noise on dirt roads, the updated Fortuner seems to have come out of the factory slightly improved.
Some of this may be down to manufacturing improvements that were implemented on the Toyota Fortuner following the Prospecton factory’s enforced shutdown due to the KZN floods in 2022.
Toyota Fortuner pricing and after-sales
| Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD6 RB MT | R653 500 |
| Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD6 RB AT | R677 500 |
| Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD6 4×4 AT | R709 800 |
| Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD6 RB AT | R794 600 |
| Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD6 RB VX AT | R837 800 |
| Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD6 4×4 AT | R873 500 |
| Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD6 4×4 VX AT | R915 400 |
A 3-year/100 000 km warranty and a 9-service/90 000 km service plan (with intervals of 10 000 km) are included in the purchase price.
Is the Toyota Fortuner a match for the new Ford Everest?
Right now, the Toyota Fortuner seems a bit outgunned by the 3rd-generation Ford Everest, which is admittedly an all-new model replete with bold, eye-catching styling and a rather swanky interior…
The Fortuner, however, has proven itself a reliable choice for thousands of South African adventurers. Its tech and how you interact with the functions may seem a little dated compared with the Everest, but after 8 years on the market (this generation was introduced in 2016), you know it’s a proven product.
It may lose some buyers to the Everest (because the Ford is the more sophisticated product), but I think most buyers looking to spend R1 million on a 4×4 SUV will remain loyal to Toyota, with its sterling brand reputation. Also, the top-spec Fortuner is R50k cheaper than the entry-level Everest (March 2023).
