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Despite Australia's love of sporty off-road vehicles, Toyota says it has "no plans" to introduce the more powerful Fortuner GR Sport – with the Federal Government's emissions laws possibly factoring into the decision.
More than three years after the Toyota Fortuner GR Sport was unveiled overseas, the variant has yet to be offered to Australian buyers.
South Africa is the latest market in line to receive the Fortuner GR Sport, with Toyota increasing engine performance for the variant to match its more aggressive looks.
Power from the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine has increased from 150kW and 500Nm to 165kW and 550Nm – the same found in the HiLux GR Sport – driving all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission, according to website Cars.co.za.
The model also comes with "sport-inspired features and aesthetics, an aggressive stance as well as performance-focused upgrades" – including a GR Sport leather steering wheel, alloy pedals, red stitching, and subtle exterior changes.
While the Fortuner GR Sport for South Africa is manufactured in-country, Australia sources its Fortuner models from Thailand – where the Fortuner GR Sport is also built.
However, when approached by Drive, a spokesperson for Toyota Australia confirmed the brand has "no plans" for a GR Sport version of the Fortuner locally.
The Japanese car giant's Australian arm could be reluctant to invest in the current model, given the current Fortuner is approaching its 10th birthday – with an all-new model possibly just around the corner.
The new year will also see the implementation of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which will penalise car makers based on the emissions of their vehicles – which no doubt will be factoring in any decisions about future models and their variants.
It's not clear yet whether a mild-hybrid version of the Toyota Fortuner will be launched in Australia – borrowing the 48-volt hybrid turbo-diesel engine from the HiLux and new Prado, which slightly improves both fuel consumption and emissions outputs.
"There is no plan to discontinue [Fortuner] as we sit here today, but as time goes on we make decisions about what goes and what stays," Mr Hanley told Drive at the time.
"It’s still part of our product line-up and there are no plans at all at this stage to discontinue it, but like any product, as we face the New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) we look at the balance of our portfolio… volume, demand structures all of those things – but our market is very different to New Zealand," he said.
Ben Zachariah is an experienced writer and motoring journalist from Melbourne, having worked in the automotive industry for more than two decades. Ben began writing professionally more than 15 years ago and was previously an interstate truck driver. He completed his MBA in Finance in early 2021 and is considered an expert on classic car investment.
