- The facelift is likely to feature cosmetic changes and feature additions

- Engine specifications will remain unchanged

Toyota Kirloskar Motor will welcome the new year by taking the covers off the Fortuner facelift on 6 January. The current generation Fortuner was introduced in the Indian market in 2016 and since then is a well-established product by the Japanese car manufacturer in the full-size SUV segment.

Now with the completion of four glorious years, the SUV is due for a mid-cycle facelift. The Fortuner has undergone the cosmetic upgrades and feature additions in few international markets and is now set to receive the same for India. On the outside, the highlights of the new Fortuner are likely to include a new design for the front grille with tweaked front and rear bumpers with larger air intakes. The grille will be flanked by sleeker bi-LED headlamps with integrated LED DRLs. The 17-inch alloys could also be given a new pattern.

On the inside, the changes are expected to be relatively minor with a revamped instrument cluster. The updated infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity from the new Crysta is likely to be carried over too. Other updates could be in the form of leather upholstery in new colour shade and added features like an air purifier, 360-degree camera and wireless charging.

To add to the excitement, the Legender variant of the SUV was also spotted recently on Indian roads; details of which can be found here. Under the hood, the Fortuner will remain the same with recently introduced BS6 compliant 2.8-litre diesel engine and 2.7-litre petrol engine with the former making 174bhp and 420Nm torque and the latter giving an output of 164bhp and 245Nm of peak torque. Transmission options will continue to be offered in six-speed manual and a six-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. The rivalry in the category will be in the form of the Ford Endeavour, Mahindra Alturas G4 and the new kid on the block– MG Gloster.