2009 Toyota Fortuner debuts in GCC

2009 Toyota Fortuner debuts in GCC


Toyota’s Dubai-based dealers have already started slapping on photos of the 2009 Toyota Fortuner in vague magazine ads. Toyota doesn’t advertise with us, but they didn’t send us any details about the new model either, so I had to figure out what’s new with this cheap truck.

The front end gets the most visible changes, with reshaped headlights, a completely new grille design and a slightly resculpted bumper.

The rear seems to get slightly facelifted only, with redesigned tail-light clusters.

The interior remains the same in overall design, which means most of the hard plastics carry over from the previous model. But there are some trim upgrades, as seen in this top-of-the-range model. As this is simply a cosmetic facelift, cabin space remains the same as before. New features include roof-mounted a/c vents

East Asian markets such as Thailand, where the Fortuner is built, have numerous dealer-installed accessories available, such as body kits and chrome trimmings.

Mechanically, the 2009 Fortuner still retains the same 2.7-litre and 4.0-litre engine choices as the pre-2008 models. These new models should be available at local GCC dealers already, at similar prices as the previous version.

Keep track of local prices and other details in the Toyota Fortuner buyer guide.

What do you think?

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Comments

  1. bad from outside but look better inside…

  2. thanks dude for the info…but till know the dealer didnt launch the 2009 fortuner..strange 😕 😕

  3. Its just like other Toyotas! Damn boring!!! YAWN!!!

  4. Cheap?!! No Toyota in this country is cheap..if you’re talking about pricing. The front grille & lights do give it some character however no amount of accessorising will save this car…

  5. Hyped up toyota Hilux..!!

  6. RayD, the ‘cheap’ meant useless, not worth a lot etc. not price. But you’re right. A BASE trim camry can cost as much as a top of line Sportage and yet sportage is better cuz you get leather seats, the obvious 4WD system and 5-yr factory warranty. thats why, hyundai sonatas are enering the DUbai taxi fleet.

  7. the sorento is much better than this.

    Bois, do you know how much the full option costs? It has great offroad ability..

  8. I’m not sure if you asked about the sorento or sportage but I only know the price of sportage here.
    The sportage top line costs close to 76 000 DHS and the BASE sorento costs ’round 80 000 and the top might be JUST across the 100k mark. And if you’re interested in Mohave which is also a truck based off-roader, its base is 93/95k and top is 137k and the mohave V8 achieves class leading mileage [better mileage than the tahoe Hybrid according to the EPA!]. And the V8 does 0-100 in 7 seconds plus some luxury features are available like reversing cam and adjustable suspenssion.

  9. ALL Kias also come with standard 5-yr/100 000km warranty from the factory which not a lot of manufacturers offer. some makes just offer extended Dealer warranty. o and BTW, Opirus and Mohave come with 5-yr unlimited km warranty.

  10. is the v8 mohave available?
    Great power and warranty..
    Thanks for sorento’s information

  11. V8 will be available by Jan-Feb here. if you’re buying any Kia. Do ask them about airbags and safety features availability cuz as you know, the GCC isnt treated like US and European auto markets but for some reason Kia has offered Mohave in UAE with more luxury items than US. Maybe they are changing their thoughts about UAE market. If you really want the sorento for its off-road capabilities, get it by 2009 cuz the 2010 sorento will not be truck based instead it will be a 7-seat crossover SUV. Or you could look at Mohave.

  12. it still looks cheap!!..but thn, the v6 4.0L is a really good off-roader..for tat price and albeit tat extremely uninspiring looks, i think it is one of the very few true off-roaders u can get..but yea, the Mohave is a very big challenge for it though..i guess the fortuner is abt 115K for the full-options (options, yea rite!!:P)..or am i not updated?? 🙄 ..

  13. and a message to TOYOTA…please, for heavens sake, either go back to the design schooolsss or stop manufacturin such dull carsss!!!!!!! i wudnt mind paying 85k for a camry glx if only it looked good, and was never a total plastic tub from inside!!! And sadly enuf, the new Camry’s a/c is not upto the mark. The Altima, Accord, the new Mondeo, my own Mazda 6 and evn a Kia Rio that i had for sometime, does a much better job in cooling down!!!

  14. vivec, have you test your car from 0 to 100km? If you did please tell us..

  15. the only reason toyota isnt breaking a sweat to sell in Dubai is cuz of the Dubai taxi fleet and those yellow taxis [Sharjah taxis?]. COme to think of it, cars like camry arent for private owning, its for taxi fleet. start at A and stop and B, nothing else. O and guess what, no CD plyer on the base, the mid-range has CD player and no MP3 compat. the top of range has that and AUX, USB and iPod jacks are not even available! even picanto has that. I think all 2009 Kias except rio and cerato has USB and AUX. just stop embarrassing yourself toyota!

  16. hey mash! no new article?
    how’s about this
    h t t p://w w w.easier.com/view/News/Motoring/Kia/article-206434.html

    just remove the spaces between http and www

  17. “Cheap truck”! 👿 Its a midsize SUV for God’s sake!!! And the 4.0L version is a cool vehicle for offroading too!!!

  18. Hey vivek,how old is your Mazda6? There are a few things i’ve been meaning to check on other 6s in comparison to mine…we should meet up…

    Mohammad Kamil – just cause the Fortuner is a midsizer(actually it isn’t)doesn’t mean it can’t be cheap in terms of quality. Also,just cause it’s a Toyota doesn’t mean it can’t be cheap.

    The Toyota dealer in this country is ripping people off, at the same time it’s the stupidity of the buying public that is encouraging them. Toyota is a good brand,no doubt,but the prices aren’t justified seeing that many other Jap/Korean brands are offering more content,as well as quality,for a lesser or same price. If you were to slap a Toyota or Honda logo onto any Hyundai/Kia vehicle, people would buy blindly them…

  19. I’d remove the toyota logo before buying the Kia. I’d be humiliated and embarrassed driving a car with a toyota logo. I can accept honda though. their [toyota’s] cars have got no emotion. and also a 4-litre engine isnt going to convince me. good 0-100 and fuel efficiency appeals to me. thats where mohave and pilot come in.

  20. then again, what good is the pilot’s interior. the big brands seem to be happy with their sales and dont seem to care about their cars. it the smaller brands that do more work. although you cant call Hyundai-Kia ‘small’ anymore. 5th rank isnt small.

  21. heyy assassin..haven’t really measured the exact 0-100 timings yet..will try n post it soon..

    and RayD, my mazda 6 is brand new..just abt 3-4 weeks old.. yup, shall sure meet up!!..

  22. hey vivek, be careful from RayD when you meet him. he is a serial killer as I heard from trustable sources.
    😈

    and vivek, is there in your car that bad engine noise that can be heard from the 2.4 accord?

    thanks

  23. I’ve sat in both cars and I can say that the maz6 is quieter than accord. a huge improvement on mazda’s side.

  24. Gee assassin, I wonder who told you I was a serial killer 😉 Did I kill someone you knew?
    The Mazda6 is a better car any day,contrary to what most people in this country would think/say.Even though the Accord has a little more power than the 6, the 6’s 0-100 timing is faster, it handles better and gives better mileage. Although I respect V-TEC,it can now take a hike(do i hear the Honda fan boys getting all riled up? 😉 )
    Assassin – what sort of noise are you talking about? I’m quite keen to know.

  25. engine noise. like how good is the cabin in keeping engine noise at bay.

  26. no, i meant the noise that most I-4 engines make it which makes you feel the engine is overloaded and 2.4 accord does tons of that sound.

  27. Hmmm…a sound that suggests the engine is straining under load. My Mazda6 doesn’t emit such a sound even with 5 people on board?
    Assassin – do you have an Accord that makes such a sound? It would be best to have it checked by the dealer.

  28. you didnt get the point.
    For ex. If you drive a v8 or a v6 car for a long time, then you drive an I4 car, you will notice that overload soud in i4 car .
    Thats why i prefer buying the safarane 2.3 v6 than the altima 2.5 even if the engine of altima 2.5 provides more power.
    .

  29. Im just happy to see intelectual people here who agree with something i have known and believed for a long time..Toyotas here are over priced and have lost their style and presence, not in terms of price, but in terms of value for money..Toyota once stood for giving the people good reliability and bang for their buck..Like RayD said, no doubt they’re reliable but bang for the buck,,well that i dont think so..Come on toyota..Wheres your character..

  30. Yes spyke, my sentiments exactly. Toyota, and Honda to an extent are over-pricing their cars…actually blame should be put on the respective dealers.
    I’ve driven & been driven in a Toyota but I have never owned one and don’t intend owning one. I’ve heard their after sales service sucks, surprising, since they are the one’s that bench marked service standards in this country. My Mazda dealer provides much better service + deliver the car on time.
    On another note,it would be nice to meeet up with my fellow bloggers, including Mashfique 🙂

  31. mazda service is very good and all their aftersales service. SOme say that they have horrible aftersales service but we never had ONE prob with them. but I might never get that again as I cant afford mazdas anymore. Kia’s service is not bad either. no probs with the guys for the past one year of ownership.
    And I too agree with spyke.

  32. hey look people. official gallery of the Kia soul
    paste the link in you address bar and remove the spaces between http and www .
    h t t p://w w w.kia-world.net/index.php/2008/09/22/pics-aplenty-official-kia-soul-gallery/
    must look at the pix. just awesome

  33. Author

    RayD, we can meet up at the Sharjah Auto Show in November.
    Boris, you can post at least one link without setting off the spam filters, so don’t worry about that.

  34. did ya hear ’bout the hybrid soul mash? turns out there will be more than just the cee’d hybrid and production soul at the motorshow. there will be a sportage FCEV that Kia claims has a range of 600km, 7 different versions of the soul and yes, the hybrid soul. more info on kia-world.net

  35. Author

    Hehe, I think I’ll wait a few more days for more concrete Kia news, so readers don’t skip over too many similar stories. Kia news overload isn’t good for the Soul.

  36. Will try and see you at the Shj. Auto show Mashfique 🙂 .
    Vivek – what make/model of tyre is your 6 running on? It’s time to change the one’s on mine;i’m looking for a make/model that will perform really well in the dry & wet as well as be quieter than the Potenza RE050’s that came standard. Mashfique, any suggestions?

  37. Yeh for sure Mash, gotta meet up at the Shj motor show.Hopefully see the rest of u guys there as well..

  38. Author

    I don’t know tyres. Too many types. Just stick to the main brands and you should be fine. Read up on speed ratings for tyres. The higher the speed rating, the better the grip at lower speeds too, even if the car can never reach the rated top speed.

  39. well..abt the engine noise; if u compare the 2009 mazda 6 wid the previous gen accord (which obv is soo unfair), the accord is quieter..but for sum reason Honda has now decided to give itz 2.4 Accord owners some less comfort; so the engine noise of the 2009 Accord is higher tan tat of the 6; jus like hw they took away tat ever useful “VSA” feature from the 2.4 range of Accords. But i nevr felt any variation in the engine noise levels in the accord regardless of the load in it..or was it the Digital Noise Cancellation technology at work?? 😆

    however, as RayD had said, Accord has a tad more powerful engine than the 6..with a normal right foot, i feel the mazda is more at ease, probably coz itz lighter in weight and smaller in size..here again, if i compare it with the 2007 accord, the accord is faster esp. at speeds post 170 kph; and it is a noticeable power difference..but no questions about handling, mazda 6 is the better one – coz of the suspension tuning and low profile tyres..

    oh yea, talkin abt tyres, RayD, mine is running on Dunlop SP2050 tyres..225/45 R18..rating is 91W..those came standard with the car..and thot bridgestones were better performers 😛 ; esp since i’ve a set of turanzas runnin my Mondeo for over a year now, wid minimal road noise and offering a smoother ride compared to similar rubbers frm othr brands..Dunlop gives some bearable road noise, and grip levels for that kind of tyres is unimpressive i felt, though mazda’s stability control shud keep things safe, unless the driver is a complete nut!!..hehe 😀

  40. Many thanks guys for the feedback

    Vivek – i’ve read the Dunlop SP9000’s are a really good tyre, quiet even. The Potenza’s I have are really good as well but they can be a bit noisey at speeds above 80km/h. At the same time i’ll have to consider the noise insulation of the 6. Your 6, i believe, is alot quieter than mine – the previous 6 didn’t have great sound insulation despite the 700+ changes made to the ’05-’08 models. So,i guess,even if i get a really ‘quiet’ tyre I will still have sound permeating into the cabin…ohh well…

  41. hey guys im also looking to get new tyres..any suggestions? even i heard the dunlop sp9000 are good but i couldn’t find one that fits my specifications when searching online. right now i’m using goodyear eagle rs-a 265/50/20

  42. Author

    I’ve had Dunlop SP9000 tyres on my Merc since 2005. They are quieter than the Marshall tyres I had on before.

  43. guys its known…most of the offroading cars use dunlop tyres…if you want more grip in the road but you have to sacrifice abit from the road noise use micheline and they are not good for off-roading as the others…bridgeston tyres are good on and off road and they insulate some of the road noise but they loose some of the grip compared with micheline tyres…in general…if you have an off-roading car use dunlop…if you have sports car use micheline for sportier feeling…if you are using a normal saloon car like camry,altima,accord use bridgestone…but if you want also to have more safty and grip in those saloon cars you can also use micheline…especially if you keep driving at high speeds its better to consider micheline tyres with at least grade V for speed(its around 240 KM/hr)

  44. any particular models by michelin in mind thatsit?

  45. actually it all depends on your car…and the size of the tire…they will choose for you the right model….in our sunny we fixed michelin ‘energy saver’ 😯 😯 😯 ….just take your car and they will tell you about the right one…BTW michelin costs more than bridgestone’just a bit’.

  46. just go to iranian shop and ask about a koerian tire called Tiger. It stayed with our old sunny for 3 years and costed us 390 Dhs for 4 tires.
    As mash says: dont be a symbol of wasting the money.

  47. thatsit,the energy saver im guessing are budget tires that will have limited grip. will check out other michelin tires. any idea about yokohamas?

    ass assin thanks…next

  48. as i told you…those energy savers were installed in our sunny each one cost 260Dhs. but in terms of grip they are much better than the bridgestone tyres that came from the dealer.as i remeber you have the infiniti…so your tire for sure will have a different model…yokohama are also good…but am not sure they the same quality as the michelin tyres. in case of tyres, dont think that you are paying extra money…actually those expensive tyres might save you one day from a nightmare…assassin…when you are driving a car that only drives to max speed of 90 then this is OK ….but when you know that you always drive at high speeds..its better to be aware of what might happen.

  49. can any one tell when the fortuner 4 ltr 6 cylinder 2009 model will hit the UAE market?

  50. I need some ideas here.am moving to east africa but i need a durable suv.am thinking the cayenne or landcruiser,which one will last longer

  51. Porche is the best in quality. if you can afford cayenne, then get it! If you think of buying cayenne, LC doesnt even come in the corner of the picture. not in design, quality, off-road capability or anything else.

  52. toyota is crap, everyone knows that. specially the new land cruiser, many people complain of its crap quality and bad offroad ability. no doubt, cayenne will last forever while the lc will turn to small pieces after very short time of driving on hard roads.

  53. just look at this LC V8 man.
    it takes the whole day to reach 100km/h
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RScEv5R8ZM4
    REALLY IT IS AN ELEPHENT

  54. I still can’t understand how the LC managed to get the title of ‘King of the Desert’ when there are so many better 4x4s in the market. Word on the street is, as a result of the unreasonably high cost of a brand new LC, the prices of second hand LCs have gone up due to a great demand for them. I guess the philosophy here is, ‘as long as I want & get a Toyota or LC, for that matter, it doesn’t matter if it’s new or old’. CRAP!!

  55. King of the desert! well, there’s a joke.

  56. yeah, toyota gives lies to the GCC’s poor people about the craps that they made.
    But i still dont understand why people remain buying the LC which costs more than 260k AED. You can get both a G35 and a v8 Mohave ( which is better in quality, options and offroad ability ) and will cost you less than 260k.
    I’m realy feel sorry about all toyota’s and lexus’s owners.

  57. pity upon them. they just worry about 3 things.
    resale. then there’s… resale and what else… O yes- resale. couldnt think of anything else as a reason for them buying toyota. LOL.

  58. thanks boris 4 the info,its very helpful.am just trying to locate a dealer in east africa where i can service it in case anything goes wrong or need to fix anything or a mechanic who knows what to do with it but i havent found one.i can buy parts from the states or dubai if i need them but who is going to fix it.there is a few mercedes benz dealerships,they service german models but i dont know if they can do porsche.any ideas would be helpful

  59. 2008 mitsubishi montero sport is far better than this…

  60. anything can be better than toyota… 😀

  61. The starting price of the new Fortuner is 1.059 million baht for the standard model while the top-of-the-line gasoline model is 1.419 million.

    Check out more on the New Toyota Fortuner 2008 here

    http://www.iwebie.com/toyota-fortuner-2009

  62. my comment is i’ll really like to buy a fortuner 2.7 right hand drive 2009. a s p

  63. Kudos to XYLO for forcing the launch of FORTUNER which was eagerly awaited by many in India for the past 5 years.It will be good for Toyota if FORTUNER is priced around 13-14 lakhs. At 20 lakhs it will cater to a niche market competing with Honda CRV, FORD Endeavour, Chevrolet Captiva ,Mitsubishi Pajero & outlander while XYLO will walk away with the majority of the market.

  64. toyota fortuner 2009 is the best 4 driving

  65. please drive toyota fortuner 2009

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