According to recent reports, the Toyota Fortuner Epic and Epic Black have been recently launched by the brand in the South African markets. The all-new variants of the most sought-after SUV from the brand will only be available with the 2.8-litre diesel engine option while Toyota has discontinued the standard variant of the 2.8L diesel-powered Fortuner in South Africa.
Coming to the revised exterior profile, the Epic variants of the SUV features an additional nudge bar at the front which further gets “Epic” branding in the middle. In addition to this, the rear is now equipped with an additional tow bar.
In terms of the cabin design, the Toyota Fortuner Epic and Epic Black variants feature “Epic” branding on the floor mats in addition to getting metallic scuff plates. The brand has further distinguished the Fortuner Epic from Epic Black variant with the addition of a black nudge bar, all-black roof, wing mirrors as well as a different alloy wheel design for the latter.
In terms of electronics, the new Fortuner variants have been imparted all the similar features offered to the top-spec 2.8-litre diesel engine variant which includes the likes of push-button start/stop, a reverse camera, cruise control, a touchscreen infotainment unit, automatic climate control, powered driver seat and more. The safety package offered to the SUV variants also remain similar to the standard diesel version and consists of ABS with EBD, traction control, stability control, hill-assist and more.
Powering the Toyota Fortuner Epic and Epic Black variants is a 2.8-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine that is capable of churning out a maximum power of 177HP and a peak torque of 450Nm. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard while the customers can also opt for a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
The South African markets continue to offer a smaller 2.4-litre diesel engine with the standard Fortuner variant which is not available in the Indian markets. Since the Toyota Fortuner Epic and Epic Black are the market-specific variants of the SUV, the brand is not expected to offer them in India anytime soon. Toyota has recently updated the SUV in the Indian markets with a BS6-compliant engine.