New Toyota Fortuner TRD Sportivo Is a Hilux SUV with Attitude

We think some of these parts may find their way onto the Hilux since the two vehicles are based on the same platform. The TRD treatment adds sportier looking front and rear bumpers. The grille has received a dark chrome finish and the matte black roof contrasts with the white body paint. On request, customers will also be able to get black paint to cover everything.

We especially like the view from the back, where we see a chrome exhaust tip on the right, a fake diffuser, trunk spoiler and tinted windows.

20-inch six-spoke alloy wheels have been specifically developed for this model and come with black paint. Dunlop's 265/50 all-weather tires wrap things up. As we've come to expect from TRD, they have tuned the suspension by adding new shocks and springs. Beefier brakes should make stopping this body-on-frame SUV easier.

Things are as sporty as a GT 86 on the inside, where black and red trim is used throughout. The Sportivo package also adds an 11-speaker sound system made by JBL, fake carbon fiber trim, and a red starter button. They've shown the attention to details typical of a Japanse automaker by adding TRD logos to the key fob, sports carpets, entry sills, red illuminated dials and more.

The only place where you won't be impressed is under the hood, where things have been left untouched for the sake of reliability. A 2.8-liter direct-injected diesel comes standard and delivers 177 horsepower and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque. Both 2WD and AWD are available in conjunction with a six-speed automatic transmission.