Toyota, it seems, is conducting some very important testing in Thailand for a very important model that is sold in the Philippines: the Fortuner. 

It is no secret that Toyota is working on the next-generation Fortuner, and the vehicle was spotted about 7 months ago. Yes, it was heavily camouflaged, but the image gave us clues about what the front of the vehicle would look like.

But now another image surfaced from our friends over at Headlightmag in Thailand, and this time it’s showing the rear. Based on the image of the front and rear, what the Fortuner will be is a fairly comprehensive facelift of the existing model.

The front shows that the vehicle will likely have the same or similar platform, but with a reshaped front end that appears to be less sharp than the current model. The headlights will change, as will the front grille, but we can spot that the C and D pillars will be the same, indicating it may just be a minor model change, albeit a slightly extensive one.

The new rear shot tells us that they’re adopting a boxier tailgate and taillight design, as it all seems more square-ish. If anything, the rear is somewhat reminiscent of the RAV4.

This update is in line with what Toyota did for the Hilux. We expected an entirely new platform, but the vehicle is essentially a major reskin of the pick-up truck and the addition of a BEV model.

There will likely be no BEV model for the Fortuner, but there are no official details on engines and powertrains either. We expect the Fortuner to get the 2.8L turbodiesel or 2.4L turbodiesel. Some reports indicate that the engines may be augmented with a 48-volt mild hybrid system (belt-starter generator with a small lithium-ion battery) to provide extra torque and lower consumption, but it’s all unconfirmed for now.

What we do know is that the vehicle will likely be discontinued in some markets like Australia, but that will definitely not be the case for the Philippines, as the Fortuner is one of the best-selling models here.