Along with the indefatigable Innova Crysta, the Fortuner forms the backbone of Toyota's India range. An SUV with a cult following, the Toyota Fortuner has been racking up the numbers on the sales charts for years now, but with newer names and SUVs entering the market, the Fortuner has started to look somewhat basic in terms of the features it has to offer. To address this, Toyota will launch a special edition of its popular SUV in the time to come.
Speaking on the #LiveWithAutocar chat on Instagram, Naveen Soni, senior vice president, sales and service, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “Coming very soon is a limited-edition version of the Toyota Fortuner.”
Soni confirmed the limited-run Fortuner will get a few more features than the standard model. Expected to be in the vein of the Innova Crysta Leadership Edition that was launched recently, the special-edition Fortuner is expected to get a number of cosmetic additions inside and out, as well as new features such as a 360-degree camera and auto-folding ORVMs. Expect the limited-edition Fortuner to be priced at a premium over the standard SUV, which, despite being upgraded to meet BS6 norms, is still priced the same as the BS4 model – from Rs 28.18 to 33.95 lakh. That said, Toyota will gradually raise the BS6 Fortuner’s prices over the coming months. The facelifted Fortuner was spied testing for the first time earlier this year, but it is not expected to be launched anytime soon.
With the transition to BS6 emission norms, Toyota has also rationalised its model range, discontinuing the Etios range as well as the Corolla Altis. Responding to a viewer’s query during the live chat, Soni assured that owners of the Corolla Altis won’t have to face a lack of spares or service support for at least 10-15 years more. “There’s a substantial number of Corolla Altis owners in the country, and we will ensure they have full support in terms of spares and service for at least 10-15 years more. It’s what we’ve done for owners of previous-generation models too – we still service the Qualis!”, he added.
Like it has hit every other carmaker, the spread of the COVID-19 virus has impacted business for Toyota as well, and the Japanese carmaker has rolled out a number of initiatives to help make life easier for its dealer partners and customers. In addition to extending the validity of warranty and services for Toyota owners, the company has also introduced a 'COVID package' to protect its dealers.
“At a time like this, faced with an unprecedented situation, our priority was ensuring our dealers and customers are happy, satisfied and safe. One of the things we did with the lockdown being imposed was ensure the cash flows of our dealer partners were protected, as they would still have to bear expenses in the form of salaries and utility expenditures, and we rolled out the COVID package to help them manage the situation”, Soni added.