The Toyota Fortuner, a rugged SUV, has been discontinued in the Australian market after over a decade of presence, due to consistently being one of the slowest-selling models in the lineup.
“The Fortuner has been a fantastic product for us over the years, attracting a small but passionate customer base. However, as consumer trends in Australia shift, we’ve decided to cease its distribution,” said Sean Hanley, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Toyota Australia, during a press conference.
Does the Fortuner’s disappearance from Australia signal its future in other markets? Photo: Toyota
The Fortuner will officially leave Australian Toyota dealerships by mid-2026. Toyota noted that most Fortuner customers have already transitioned to other models in their lineup.
“Many have returned to the Hilux, or shifted to SUVs like the LandCruiser Prado or LandCruiser 300 Series,” added Hanley.
From January to October 2025, the Toyota Fortuner sold only 2,928 units, significantly lagging behind competitors like the Ford Everest (21,915 units) and Isuzu mu-X (12,499 units).
Introduced in Australia in 2015, the 7-seater SUV had a starting price under AUD 50,000 (AUD 47,990/USD 34,000, excluding on-road costs).
Positioned as a diesel alternative to the gasoline-only Kluger (now fully hybrid), the Fortuner shares the Hilux’s chassis and features a 2.8L turbocharged diesel engine with rear-wheel or four-wheel drive options.
The Fortuner is the second slow-selling model discontinued by Toyota Australia this year, following the Granvia passenger van. Photo: Toyota
Priced lower than its direct competitor, the Ford Everest (starting at AUD 54,990/USD 38,500), the Everest, launched in Australia in 2015, is built on the Ranger pickup’s body-on-frame platform and positioned to rival the premium Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. This strategy proved effective, with the Everest outselling the Prado in 2024, achieving 26,494 units sold.
In contrast, the Fortuner’s best sales year in Australia was 2022, with only 4,614 units sold, compared to the Everest’s 10,314 and mu-X’s 10,987. The Prado led the segment that year with 20,710 units.
Between 2016 and 2024, the Fortuner averaged a modest 3,481 annual sales. Even in 2024, when Prado supply was disrupted due to a generational change, the Fortuner only managed 3,042 units, far below the Prado’s 9,802 units during the same period.
Hanley stated that Toyota does not view the Fortuner’s tenure in Australia as a failure.
“Every product we introduce serves a unique purpose. The Fortuner is no exception, and we understood it would never be our top-selling model. It successfully achieved the goals we set for it. However, with the expanding Hilux lineup and a streamlined product portfolio, discontinuing the Fortuner was a standard business decision,” Hanley emphasized.
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