The incoming Toyota Fortuner is taking shape, with recent spy pics rendered to give us our best look yet at the HiLux-based Isuzu MU-X rival.
With what appeared to be a production-ready Fortuner recently snapped in Thailand, design house ia.dsgn got to work transforming those images into a render of what the new vehicle should look like.
And as you can see, some key design changes are afoot, with a sharper front end headlined by the Toyota family's new grille delivering a very different road presence.
New body bulges give the new Fortuner a sportier side profile, too, while inside, seating for seven remains the norm.
We're not expecting key chassis changes, so capability us unlikely to change much, but like the HiLux, we are expecting the Fortuner's 2.8-litre diesel engine to get a power boost from its current 130kW and 450Nm outputs.
While Toyota in Australia is yet to confirm timing for the updated Fortuner, we do know that an updated HiLux is due in Australia in July, and we expect the key changes from that model to flow over to the SUV.
That means more power and better cabin tech, including 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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