Toyota Fortuner Is No Longer Marketed In New Zealand, Here's Why

New Fortuner GR Sport. (Doc. Toyota-Astra Motor)

Shocking news came from Toyota in the New Zealand market. The reason is, this Japanese manufacturer removed the Fortuner SUV from their list of vehicle selling on their local websites.

Media Stuff reported on Thursday, August 29, the manufacturer's representative noted that this decision was taken with the aim of offering more electrification options in the ranks of Toyota vehicles, and Fortuner is the only non-electrified model in the country.

"In our focus on providing a series of electrical powertrains and reducing emissions with a balanced product portfolio, we decided to no longer offer Fortuner in New Zealand," said the brand representative.

Although it has been confirmed that they will not sell Fortuner in the future, Toyota ensures that Fortuner owners can still enjoy their full-sale services when they are about to carry out vehicle maintenance and repairs.

"However, we continue to serve Fortuner-owning customers with full-sale services that match their experience from Toyota," he added.

The removal of Fortuner from the New Zealand market opens up opportunities for Toyota to present the latest Land Cruiser Prado in the country. It was stated that the model has similarities with Fortuner and Prado are now presented with hybrid drivers.

In New Zealand, Toyota Fortuner is an offroad car with the cheapest ladder frame chassis owned by this brand. Built on the same platform as the Hilux pickup, the car is positioned under the Land Cruiser trio, such as Prado, Series 70, and Series 300.

With Fortuner's departure in the country of Kiwi, it now leaves a number of models in its class such as Ford Everest, GWM Tank 500, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, and Isuzu MU-X in the bpdy-on-frame 7-SEAter SUV segment.

Toyota Fortuner is the successor to 4Runner and imported vehicle Hilux Surf that has been sold in New Zealand. To date, the three remain favorites among 4x4 vehicle enthusiasts in the country.

This tough SUV is also one of the favorites in the Indonesian market and is a serious challenger for Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. Now, PT Toyota-Astra Motor (TAM) has priced from Rp573.7 million to Rp745.3 million and all of them include On The Road DKI Jakarta.