The new Toyota Fortuner is expected to be delayed, with international media today reporting the Thai factory responsible for building the incoming Isuzu MU-X rival remains shutdown as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.
The Fortuner was expected to follow the facelifted HiLux to Australia around the middle of the year, packing the same engine and technology upgrades that will help the ute take the fight to the Ford Ranger.
But the date is expected to now be pushed back, with the Thai factory locked down until at least May 9 - though it could be shuttered longer as the country continues to battle the coronavirus, meaning an Australian launch later in 2020 at the earliest.
The reports, which appeared on Auto Industriya, quote sources close to the project that confirm the Thai factory remains on a shutdown order, and that the official build date of the new Fortuner has been bumped from May to June.
The news follows new renders (based on spy pics) appearing online, with design house ia.dsgn's images showing a sharper front end headlined by a new grille delivering a very different road presence.
Elsewhere, we're expecting the Fortuner's 2.8-litre diesel to get a power boost from its current 130kW and 450Nm outputs, with those figures lifted by about 20kW and 20Nm.
We're also expecting true smartphone mirroring for the first time, courtesy of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold.
But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul.
And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard.
When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House.
But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others.
More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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