20:28 10-11-2025

Toyota confirms Fortuner's Australian exit in 2026

Toyota confirms Fortuner will leave Australia in 2026 after weak sales. Outpaced by Prado, Everest and MU-X; HiLux and LC300 will fill its place as tastes turn

Toyota has officially confirmed that the Fortuner will leave the Australian market in 2026. Built on the HiLux platform, the SUV has become the brand’s slowest seller, trailing the higher-priced Land Cruiser Prado by a factor of eight.

In 2025, Toyota moved just 2,928 Fortuners, while the Prado surpassed 23,000 units. Even the Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X performed markedly better. The Fortuner’s peak came in 2022, yet even then it never closed the gap to its main rivals.

Toyota Australia chief Sean Hanley said the decision reflects shifting buyer tastes. He noted that the Fortuner did find its audience, but the market is leaning toward the HiLux and other SUVs, and production will end next year.

The company expects the next-generation HiLux to partially take the Fortuner’s place, while the larger Prado and Land Cruiser 300 will cover the upper end of the lineup.

In the end, the Fortuner was boxed in by its own niche: for many shoppers it sat too close to the HiLux, yet too far from the Prado’s comfort. Toyota’s move looks rational, but the model’s departure feels symbolic — the era of truly affordable body-on-frame SUVs is quietly receding.