Toyota Fortuner Challengers Lined Up For Launch In 2026
The Toyota Fortuner has been dominating the D-SUV segment for over a decade. Despite being priced steeply, it continues to sell good numbers every month. People love its rugged design, reliable old-school Japanese engineering, powerful diesel engine (that makes 201hp and 500Nm), and high resale value. Here are five SUVs expected to launch this year, that will potentially challenge the Fortuner.
MG Motor India has revealed the Majestor SUV. It is expected to officially go on sale in April, with deliveries slated to commence shortly after. The company has already started accepting orders for the SUV.
MG calls the Majestor a 'D+ segment' SUV. It measures over five metres in length- significantly longer than the Fortuner. It has an imposing road presence and a boxy design. Other design highlights include a massive front grille which the company calls 'Mozaic Matrix grille', vertically stacked three-pod LED headlamps, 19-inch wheels, bold body cladding, twin exhaust tips and connected LED tail lamps.
The SUV has a plush, tech-heavy cabin and comes with features like a three-zone climate control, electrically adjustable front seats with memory, massage and ventilation functions, panoramic sunroof, a large 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Carplay and Android Auto, 12-speaker JBL audio, 8-inch digital instrument cluster, 360-degree camera, powered tailgate, and Level 2 ADAS.
The safety suite consists of six airbags, four disc brakes, front and rear parking sensors and level 2 ADAS.
Powering the Majestor is a 2.0-litre twin-turbocharged diesel engine that makes 213hp and 479Nm. That’s more power and less torque than the Fortuner. Paired to this engine is an 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
This SUV comes with rugged 4x4 hardware- three differential locks, 10 selectable terrain modes, crawl control with selectable speeds and more. This setup provides the driver with maximum control and traction on tricky terrains. The Majestor can be a serious Fortuner challenger if priced competitively.
The Skoda Kodiaq RS (Rally Sport) is another SUV expected to arrive in India this year. It is the performance-focused version of the second-generation Kodiaq that on sale now.
The RS version features several sporty design updates over the regular one. These include gloss-black accents, an illuminated grille, red brake calipers, and large 20-inch diamond-cut directional alloy wheels. The LED matrix beam headlights and LED taillights with animated turn indicators will be retained. Inside, the cabin is also expected to feature a sporty all-black theme with contrast stitching.
Powering the RS version will be the the same 2.0-litre TSI turbo petrol engine, capable of producing 263 hp and 370 Nm. It will be mated to a seven-speed DSG gearbox. The RS will do the 0-100kph sprint in just 6.3 seconds and will have a top speed of 231 kph. The SUV will also feature variable-ratio progressive steering.
Skoda also plans to bring back diesel engines. The Kodiaq will get a diesel engine sometime this year. The SUV will be brought as limited CBU imports. It will be powered by a 2.0-litre TDI engine producing around 198 hp and 400 Nm. The transmission on offer will be a seven-speed DSG unit. The SUV will also come with all wheel drive (AWD) system.
Volkswagen’s latest launch in India is the Tayron R-Line that went on sale on February 19. It has an ex-showroom price of Rs 46.99 lakh. It is currently the company’s SUV flagship. VW will also launch the standard (non R-Line) version of the SUV in India, in the coming months.
The non- R-line version will have a design that’s less sporty. It will ditch many of the R-Line version’s sporty design cues. Expect the feature list to be toned down slightly.
The good part is that there will be no change in the engine. The non-R-line version will continue to be powered by the same 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine (EA888), mated to the 7-speed DSG. It will likely be offered in a lower state of tune. The product will likely be priced more competitively than the R-Line. It will likely be more affordable than the Fortuner itself.
JSW is preparing to set up its own independent passenger vehicles vertical. It will launch an SUV based on the Jetour T2 sold abroad. This will be positioned as a Fortuner rival. It was originally slated to arrive around Diwali. Certain regulatory hurdles seem to have slowed the process down.
When it eventually arrives, this SUV will have its iconic boxy styling, rugged proportions and a tech-heavy cabin. It will be brought as CKD (completely knocked down) kits and assembled at the company’s upcoming plant in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
In global markets, both five-seater and seven-seater version of the T2 are available. India is likely to get the latter. Even though several powertrains are on offer globally, the Indian version will likely come with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain- meaning the i-DM variant will be coming to India.
The powertrain will have a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with two electric motors and a 26.7 kWh battery pack, with a combined output of 375 hp and 610 Nm- much more than the Fortuner’s output figures. Both front wheel drive and all wheel drive (AWD) versions are available, with the AWD version having greater chances of making it to India.