How Toyota can turn its biggest weakness into a strength

The new Toyota 4Runner isn’t coming to Australia – but there’s lessons to be learnt from it

Toyota has revealed a brand new 4Runner in the United States – a sexy, pumped-guard, off-road-ready SUV boasting plenty of rugged vibes.

The sad news is it’s not coming to Australia.

Unlike the Hilux-based 4Runner that was sold in Australia in the 1980s and 1990s, this American version is based on the Toyota Tacoma – a larger vehicle than the Hilux. More specifically, it’s Toyota’s body-on-frame TNGA-F platform that underpins the LandCruiser 300 and imminent new Prado.

Much like the Tacoma, Toyota has no intentions to officially produce the 4Runner in right-hand-drive (despite being made in Japan). Which is where the story ends for its Australian prospects, as it does for so many other juicy American models that would seemingly work locally.

It’s a pity as Aussies would doubtless love to get at the new 4Runner, but there’s still an opportunity in it for Toyota locally, if you ask us. And that is for the existing Hilux-based Toyota Fortuner.

The Fortuner is hardly the greatest success story for Toyota Australia at present. Last year, Toyota sold 20,710 Prados, 15,035 Landcruisers and 10,430 Klugers – but only 3619 Fortuners.

Given the ute on which it’s based shifted a staggering 61,111 examples last year – and also considering Australia’s obsession with the SUV – you’d think it’d be more.

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The best-selling ute-based SUV, the Ford Everest, sold 15,071 units in 2023, more than four times as many as the poor, old Fortuner.

You could theorise Fortuner sales are out-of-step with the popularity of other Toyota SUVs simple because it’s an unappealing vehicle. (And you’d be right.)
We know how to fix this – and its sales. And as of last week, it’s staring Toyota Australia in the face.

Toyota Australia, let’s not overthink this – make a shrunken version of the Tacoma-based 4Runner built on the Hilux platform.

This is the missing puzzle piece in Toyota Australia’s current SUV line-up. Injecting a generous amount of youthful new 4Runner DNA into the Fortuner would turn it from a sales dud into stud.

How? More angular, blocky, aggressive styling. Pumped wheel arches. More interesting colours – currently the most daring colour you can get a Fortuner is red or blue – and fatter wheels and tyres.

Some extra herbs and spices to boost the engine’s current 150kW/500Nm probably also wouldn’t hurt, but serious restyling alone should turn the Fortuner from a weakness to a strength in Toyota Australia’s SUV line-up.

It would help us forget we’re not getting the Tacoma-based 4Runner, as well – Toyota owes that much to us, at least.