2016 Toyota Fortuner

Toyota has just announced an all-new SUV for the Australian market – the Fortuner. Based on the newest version of the venerable Hilux pickup truck, the Fortuner is a rugged, body-on-frame SUV with seating for seven that’s powered by the same turbodiesel engine found in the Hilux and comes standard with a part-time, two-speed 4WD system and electronic locking rear differential.

Tony Cramb, Toyota Australia’s executive director of sales and marketing, says the Fortuner is the brand’s diesel alternative to the Kluger, Australia’s version of theHighlander. The Fortuner is also far more rugged and trail-ready than the unibody Kluger while slotting under the surprisingly similar Land Cruiser Prado in terms of luxury and price. Though both the Prado and Fortuner are traditional SUVs with three rows of seats for seven people, the two vehicles will appeal to different audiences.

Toyota’s move to introduce the Fortuner makes more sense when considering both 2015 Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X – both of which are based on their respective pickup truck platforms.

The Fortuner will arrive in Australian dealerships in October 2015 as a 2016 model and sale for a price that is still undisclosed. Early estimations suggest a starting price of around $45,000.

The new Fortuner carries a rugged look with its angular grille dressed in chrome, short front overhang, tall ground clearance, and high beltline. The kink in its window line provides some visual interest to the flanks and helps break up the longish sides, though it likely creates more of a blind spot for the driver.

The Fortuner’s rear end boasts some very interesting taillights with a bit of chrome accenting between them. More chrome is seen on the tailgate that wrapped around from the side windows.

Down low, the step bumper provides easier access to the roof and a stepping point for getting into the rear cargo area. Side steps below the doors also aid in entry and exits.

Depending on trim level, the Fortuner comes with either 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels. The two higher trim levels come with a roof rack, fog lamps, and reverse parking sensors. Every trim level comes with a rear-view camera. Those trim levels include the base GX, midgrade GXL, and the range-topping Crusade.

The Crusade comes with extra features, including bi-LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, a power-operated rear hatch, and the 18-inch wheels. For those Australians who want accessories like bull bars and such, Toyota will be launching their own line of accessories that are fully compatible with the Fortuner’s safety systems.

EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS

Length	4,795 MM (188.77 Inches)
Width	1,855 MM (73.03 Inches)
Height	1,835 MM (72.24 Inches)
Wheelbase	2,745 MM (108.07 Inches)
Front track	1,640 MM (GX), 1,540 MM (64.56 Inches, 60.62 Inches)
Rear track	1,555 MM (61.22 Inches)
Running clearance	225 MM (8.85 Inches)

Note: 2016 Toyota Hilux interior pictured

Toyota has yet to release any photos or detailed information on the Fortuner’s interior, but its suspected it will look very similar to the 2016 Toyota Hilux interior pictured here.

All trim levels come with front and rear air conditioning, seven airbags, hill-start control, and an emergency stop light for hard braking situations.

If that’s the case, the Fortuner will have a well-designed gauge cluster with two analog gauges flanking a center information screen. A large touch-sensitive infotainment screen dominates the center dashboard and operates all the typical functions like radio, navigation, and vehicle settings.

All trim levels come with front and rear air conditioning, seven airbags, hill-start control, and an emergency stop light for hard braking situations. For those looking for adventure, the Fortuner comes with an air conditioned cooler box that keeps food and drinks cool or warm.

Seating is arranged in a 2+3+2 format with the second and third row seats offering a flat load surface when folded down. Expect the second row to be split in a 60/40 fashion to give more options when balancing cargo room with passenger counts.

The Fortuner will come with one engine option: Toyota’s 2.8-liter 1GD four-cylinder turbodiesel. Paired with the six-speed automatic transmission, the engine produces 174 horsepower at 3,400 rpm and 331 pound-feet of torque between 1,600 and 2,400 rpm, just as it does in the Hilux pickup.

The engine produces 174 horsepower at 3,400 rpm and 331 pound-feet of torque between 1,600 and 2,400 rpm, just as it does in the Hilux pickup.

Fortuner buyers can opt for a six-speed manual transmission as well, though the engine’s torque rating falls to 309 pound-feet between 1,400 and 2,600 rpm.

The manual transmission is also shared with the 2016 Hilux, meaning it has active rev matching for downshifts.

This eliminates the need to blip the throttle to increase engine revs in order to downshift – simply downshift and the electronics will perfectly match the engine’s speed for the next gear down.

Behind both the manual and automatic transmission is that two-speed transfer case. The part-time system offers conventional RWD, 4WD high range, 4WD low range, and a neutral position.

The drivetrain also includes Toyota’s electronic locking rear differential. Downhill decent control comes standard on the GXL and Crusade models.

DRIVETRAIN SPECIFICATIONS

Engine type	Turbo-diesel
Code	1GD-FTV
Displacement	2,755cm3
Max power	174 HP @ 3,400rpm
Max torque	Auto: 331LB-FT @ 1,600-2,400rpm Manual: 309 LB-FT @ 1400-2600rpm
Transmissions	6-speed manual/6-speed auto
Fuel system	High-pressure direct injection

While the Fortuner is based on the Hilux pickup, truck, the SUV dumps the truck’s rear leaf springs for a more sophisticated and smoother-riding five-link suspension with coil springs managing the solid axle. A double wishbone suspension up front makes easy work of rough terrain and curvy roads. Both ends have stabilizer bars that keep body roll under control.

Even with a coil spring rear suspension, the Fortuner is able to tow 6,613 pounds with the manual transmission and 6,173 pounds with the automatic. Braking is handled by disc brakes at all four corners.

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GM Plans To Invest $877 Million Into Michigan Truck Plant

General Motors is set to invest $877 million into its Flint, Michigan plant for updates that include a new body shop and retooling. The Michigan plant, GM’s oldest manufacturing facility that was constructed in 1947, builds the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and 2015 GMC Sierra HD, most of which are Heavy Duties.

The new body shop is a key addition to the plant and will be located near an existing facility on site that provides sheet metal for the trucks. The proximity will allow for quicker transportation of parts between the two buildings, making the production process smoother. What’s more, a new painting process called wet-coat will be used and will provide a higher quality painted surface that is also more durable.

The retooling set to take place within the main assembly building is said to facilitate the next generation of Silverado and Sierra rumored to be in production for the 2018 model year. Coincidently, GM says the upgrades and additions will be completed by 2018. There are still no further hints GM will be moving to an aluminum body for the next generation, though several rumors suggest it.

The 3.7-milliion-square-foot plant is home to almost 3,000 workers and cranked out more than 180,000 Silverado and Sierra trucks during the 2014 model year. However, the Flint plant is only one of several plants around North American that build the GM truck twins, including plants in Indiana, Mexico, and Canada.

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2016 Chevrolet Colorado Midnight Edition

Chevrolet has been beating the war drums of themidsize truck class ever since the new 2015 Chevrolet Colorado hit the market for 2015. Now almost a year into production, the Bowtie Boys have launched a massive campaign of special editions and “bespoke” features to the Colorado lineup. This one is called the Midnight Edition.

Obviously playing off its name, the Midnight Edition is a monotone, black-on-black truck with upgraded wheels, black badging and... that’s about it. Well, it does come with a spray-in bed liner (which is also black) and a folding soft tonneau cover (also black) and sill plates embossed with the Chevy logo. Beyond that, the truck has the same features as a standard Colorado.

Chevy also offers the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Trail Boss edition, which is also new for 2016 and was launched alongside the Midnight Edition. The Trail Boss takes a more macho approach and comes with beefy tires, side steps, and a bed-mounted “sports bar” known in the south as a roll bar.

Both special editions are designed to attract buyers to the Colorado in the midst of the midsized truck revival. Now with the 2016 Toyota Tacoma on the scene, the Colorado has to up its game in order to win over a buyers’ hearts and pocketbooks.

Most of the changes for the Midnight Edition are found on the Colorado’s exterior. Obviously the only color choice is black. Matching the body color are blacked-out Chevy bowties front and back, along with glossy black 18-inch wheels. The headlights are treated to smoked lenses, lending a more sinister appearance to the truck’s face. Body-color side mirror caps, bumpers, and door handles finish off the look.

The truck sports an easy-open tailgate for quick, one-handed operation; rear bumper corner steps for easy access to the bed, and plenty of tie-downs in the bed for cargo.

Note: standard 2015 Chevrolet Colorado interior shown.

The cabin doesn’t change at all with the Midnight Edition. Nevertheless, the truck gives occupants plenty of functionality. Cubby spaces and USB ports abound, as do intuitive controls and quality materials.

Chevrolet offers its MyLink infotainment system on the in-dash touch screen. Features like navigation, 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, SiriusXM radio with a rewind function, and OnStar are available in the truck.

Like with most any GM vehicle, the dealership network offers a slew of optional extras like floor mats, ashtrays, and other customizable items that can be rolled in with the vehicle’s financing and warranty.

Under the hood the Colorado Midnight Edition offers all three engine options: the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder, the volume-leading 3.6-liter V-6, and the all-new 2.8-liter Duramax four-cylinder turbodiesel. Both the Duramax and V-6 come standard with a six-speed automatic transmission while the gasoline four-cylinder comes standard with a manual box.

The 2.5-liter is rated at 200 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, while the 3.6-liter V-6 offers a more healthy 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. For those wanting to tow or haul, the Duramax is the right choice, with its 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. In fact, opting for the turbodiesel ups the Colorado’s towing capacity by 700 pounds to 7,700 pounds.

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2015 Volvo S60 T6

Being auto enthusiasts, we tend to forget that certain markets like the FWD luxury sedan segment even exist. With machines like the Acura TLX, Lexus ES, Toyota Avalon, Cadillac XTS and even the Audi A6 all sold with front-wheel drive, it is actually a large market. With that in mind, the new 2015.5 (yes, the .5 is important) Volvo S60 is an important car for the Swedish brand. I have spent extensive time in the Audi, Lexus and Toyota models, and all three are great in their own right. Does the Volvo have what it takes to win over buyers in this crowded segment?

The Volvo has a new Drive-E engine that promises incredible power and fuel efficiency, stunning Swedish design, and some of the most advanced safety tech available on any car. I really like the XC60 I had a few weeks ago that came with the same engine and safety systems, but how does this translate into a sedan? You will have to read on to find out.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2015.5 Volvo S60.

Like seemingly everything from Sweden, the Volvo S60 is rather attractive. Just like the XC60, it is covered in small details and lines that add up to an overall handsome look that should remain stylish for years. The classic Volvo nose has been sculpted and refined to make it more modern over the years, and the current curvature and slope looks great on the sedan. The headlamps feature that same attractive silver “wing” accent in the top of the housing. The nose looks a bit more aggressive with a black lower grille that features an upward cut in the center, and the chrome accent on the outside edges add a dash of class. The integrated LED running lamps are also a nice addition.

The profile is even more stunning thanks to a greater break from Volvo tradition. At first glance the S60 looks rather square, but if you let your eyes wander for a moment you will begin to see the more organic shapes integrated into the body. The sharp shoulder line that runs from the top of the headlight to the top of the taillight swells and undulates over the fenders. The sculpting line across the bottom is perfectly straight, but the cut gets deeper and taller towards the back creating interesting shadows and reflections, and the whole greenhouse is canted backwards slightly to give it a fast appearance. Of course there are those incredible-looking 19-inch alloys.

The rear is the least interesting portion of the new S60, but it still has a few noticeable details. From the direct rearward view you can see the slight uptick in the center of the trunk that looks like a small duckbill spoiler. There is an interesting thinning effect that happens visually in the bumper thanks to almost every rear line converging just slightly as they approach the center of the car. Of course, there are those now-common, but still good-looking, integrated trapezoidal exhaust tips.

The inside is typical Volvo as well. The same soft leather, waterfall center console with a storage bin hidden behind it, and plenty of smart ergonomic choices that made me love the XC60 are all present and accounted for. The sports seats are comfortable and well bolstered, and not once did I want for more support. Thanks to an optional add on, our seats were also heated. The interior color is a two-tone combination that Volvo calls Beechwood/Off-Black; I call it attractive and refreshing. Dash and door panels are trimmed in a silver that looks like brushed aluminum. The rear seats are well-sculpted as well, and while there are belts for three passengers, the rear feels a bit too narrow to really fit three with any level of comfort.

It is all about the details for me with this cabin. The seats are great feeling, but the stitching is interesting, and has great cuts and lines to make them stand out a bit more. The door panels have that great swoop look that combines the metal trim and the metal door handles together. Of course I still have that great looking frameless rearview mirror. It may seem like a crazy thing to obsess over a rearview mirror, but every person who got in the car commented on it. It just makes a bold statement, and I am not sure you can really appreciate how modern and crisp it looks by photos alone.

If you don’t appreciate the look of the interior, there is the sheer amount of technology crammed into this machine that can draw attention. For starters there is the infotainment. Our car has a seven-inch screen in the dash running what Volvo calls Sensus, and it comes with satellite radio, Bluetooth for both music and calls, navigation and more. There are also power retractable outside mirrors, active high beams, and a sunroof. On the safety front there is an entire laundry list of systems to keep you out of harm’s way: adaptive cruise control, collision warning with full auto brake, pedestrian and cycle detection with auto brake, distance alert, driver alert control, lane keep aid, road sign recognition, and City Safety low speed collision avoidance system. Along with this, our car came with the Blind Spot package that features the BLIS blind spot monitoring system, cross traffic alert, lane change merge aid and parking assist sensors front and rear.

The T6 Drive-E badge comes with what has to be one of the most interesting and unique engines in production today. Open the hood and you are greeted with a very generic looking engine bay with a large rubber cover over the engine that wears nothing more than a simple Volvo badge. Under that chunk of flexible rubber lies a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that has both a supercharger and a turbocharger to produce a rather peppy 302 horsepower. This is one of the most powerful production 2.0-liters on sale today. Torque comes in an equally impressive 295 pound-feet and it’s all available from just 2,100 rpm.

That power is routed through a Geartronic automatic transmission with eight-forward gears. Power is only sent to the front tires though, so torque steer can be an issue. The goal of using a wound-out turbo with an eight-speed auto is to hopefully increase fuel economy. Volvo claims that fuel economy is 35 mpg on the highway with 24 in the city. The combined rating is quoted at 28. During my time I mostly cruised the highways and back roads and I had a hard time breaking 30 mpg. That small engine may sip fuel when it’s off boost, but every time you dip into the pedal it seems to really want to wind out to give you the power. When I was finally done I was sitting right at that 28 mark, but I feel my driving was too highway focused to find that acceptable enough.

For being such a well-built and powerful car, I was less than enthused about the driving dynamics of the S60 when I first got behind the wheel. The steering was twitchy, overly light and it had no feeling. The car exhibited a fair bit of body roll and lean despite the “sport chassis” upgrade that comes with the 19-inch wheels; it was as if the car was tuned exactly the same as the XC60. I forgave the XC60 for some of its leaning tendencies by pure virtue of size and height. I don’t expect an SUV to handle like a sedan. In that same breath, I don’t expect my sedans to handle as ponderously as an SUV.

This story does get a little better. One day while showing the car to a friend we decided to really dive into all the various menus and settings that are available for the S60, and we found a way to change the assistance level of the power steering system. Once I had a greater level of feel and feedback from the wheel, I was much more confident pushing the car. It still exhibits more lean than I expected, but it’s better than the V-6 Avalon Limited I tested.

Thanks to that wild engine, when you are caning the machine the throttle is responsive, and that huge wall of torque available all over the rev range makes for a fun and engaging dance partner. I just wish the suspension was a bit tighter to make better use of it.

For being such a well-built and powerful car, I was less than enthused about the driving dynamics of the S60 when I first got behind the wheel. The steering was twitchy, overly light and it had no feeling. The car exhibited a fair bit of body roll and lean despite the “sport chassis” upgrade that comes with the 19-inch wheels; it was as if the car was tuned exactly the same as the XC60. I forgave the XC60 for some of its leaning tendencies by pure virtue of size and height. I don’t expect an SUV to handle like a sedan. In that same breath, I don’t expect my sedans to handle as ponderously as an SUV.

This story does get a little better. One day while showing the car to a friend we decided to really dive into all the various menus and settings that are available for the S60, and we found a way to change the assistance level of the power steering system. Once I had a greater level of feel and feedback from the wheel, I was much more confident pushing the car. It still exhibits more lean than I expected, but it’s better than the V-6 Avalon Limited I tested.

Thanks to that wild engine, when you are caning the machine the throttle is responsive, and that huge wall of torque available all over the rev range makes for a fun and engaging dance partner. I just wish the suspension was a bit tighter to make better use of it.

The cost of the Volvo S60 is what I would call reasonable for the class, but not exactly great value. The T6 Drive-E carries a base of $39,000. Our car came with the Platinum trim upgrade that added most of the crazy safety features, HID headlamps, upgraded stereo and some interior features like accent lighting. This carries a cost of $3,750 making it our most expensive option by a long shot. The 19-inch alloys with the “Sport Chassis” upgrade was $900, the BLIS blind-spot system was another $900, and then the metallic white paint added $550 with the heated seats tacking on an extra $500. After the $925 destination charge and all the options, this tester topped out with a final MSRP of $46,525.

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