JAKARTA - Toyota’s Indonesian division has pulled the covers off the GR Sport version of the Fortuner. Although for now it appears to be only bound for that market, it certainly begs the question of whether the Gazoo-badged derivative will eventually make it to other markets where the Fortuner is popular, such as South Africa.
Unlike the Hilux GR Sport, which was only sold in four-wheel drive guise with modified suspension, the Fortuner GR Sport is only offered in rear-wheel drive guise. That could, of course, change if the model makes it to other markets.
The Toyota Fortuner GR Sport can be told apart by redesigned front and rear bumpers with integrated spoilers as well as GR badging and side mounted stickers, side skirts, gloss black mirror housings and unique 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels.
Inside the model features adaptive dual-zone climate control, surround view monitor, wireless charging and a 9-inch infotainment system.
The aforementioned Toyota Hilux GR Sport, incidentally, is also set to return as a global model later this year, according to recent reports, so it’s not impossible that Toyota South Africa might introduce this and the Fortuner as a pair.
Toyota fans will however have to wait a good few years for a fully-blown GR performance variant of either the Hilux or Fortuner, although it has been rumoured that this will happen with the next-generation of Toyota’s one-tonne bakkie, and that the vehicle will receive the company’s new 3.3-litre V6 turbodiesel engine that was introduced in the new Land Cruiser 300.