A range-leading Toyota Fortuner GR-S, or GR-Sport, was added to the line-up earlier this year. We slid behind the wheel of the newcomer for an extended period over a wide range of conditions to bring you this review.
Toyota is taking the sporting bull by the horns. While some brands are shying away from their roots, the Japanese automaker is producing some of the most exciting cars on the market. The umbrella for this exercise is Gazoo Racing, or GR. GR covers a wide array of models. Fully fledged performance machines such as the GR86, GR Yaris, GR Corolla, and GR Supra cast their glow onto other models on offer.
GR-Sport models are not quite as rip-snorting. They are instead, warmed over with styling addenda. Until now the GR-Sport range has consisted of the Hilux GR-S, Land Cruiser GR-S, and Corolla Cross GR-S. The Toyota Fortuner GR-S rounds out that family, adding a level of customisation to the well-known SUV.
Differences Outside
The Fortuner GR-S has a few design cues that help it stand out from the rest of the range. Not least of all are the two colours reserved for the Fortuner Sport. These are Attitude Black and Platinum Pearl White, as per our test unit. The latter colour is tough to photograph but looks really premium in person. Some changes left the odd commentator wondering if this is an all-new Fortuner (although we have it on good authority the replacement is over a year away).
The Fortuner GR-S has a new front bumper with a reworked lower grille. There is a black front lip spoiler in addition to new foglamp surrounds. In addition, you’ll spy a cosmetic diffuser under the rear bumper. There are also dark, 18-inch GR alloys shod with some nice chunky off-roady footwear. GR Sport badges are scattered around the body, should anyone wonder why this Fortuner looks a bit different to all the others in the car park.
Interior Changes
Toyota has adopted a motorsport-inspired theme in the cabin. Black-and-red is the colour palette, as are the GR corporate colours. There is a rally style red marker at 12 o’ clock on the chunky steering wheel, matched by red stitching on the upholstery. Speaking of, the seats are covered in perforated leather with a grippy suede centre section. In addition there is GR embroidery on the headrests. Matte carbon-fibre surfaces and aluminium pedals round out the sporty touches.
The interior layout has, otherwise remained pretty unchanged. There is a enough room on the rear bench for three adults as well as two additional chairs in the cavernous luggage area. If anything, the facia is starting to feel slightly dated, especially when viewed against the likes of the myriad Chinese options on the market and not forgetting the Fortuner’s closest rival, the Ford Everest, which is far newer and feels it.
Under the Skin
Toyota has come under a bit of fire for offering GR-S models with more show, but not more go. This has been addressed with the Fortuner that boasts more power. The 2,8-litre turbodiesel has an additional 15 kW, taking peak power up to 165. Maximum torque rises to 550 N.m which is 50 more than usual. Those are some handy gains. As before, power is transferred to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.
On the (Long) Road
We had the Toyota Fortuner GR-S for an extended period while visiting the Kingdom of the Zulu (KZN). During this time we piled on well in excess of 1 500 km over a wide variety of terrain. Our journey started with a bit of time in the urban grind, where the large vehicle’s dimensions are evident. Though its easy enough to climb most kerbs in a Fortuner.
After a few days we headed north up the coast. The Fortuner GR-S proved an ideal companion on the open road, eating up the miles with ease, occupants comfortable in the suede-clad chairs and cabin temp perfect thanks to the dual-zone climate control system. The additional torque on tap is evident and was used to make quick and safe overtakes when encountering trucks on the single carriageway sections of the N2.
Back to Nature
The bulk of our time was spent in nature. We enjoyed a full day within the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve, the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa. The Fortuner’s go-anywhere capability allowed us to traverse just about every road within the 96 000-hectare Big 5 park. Incidentally, Fortuners of various descriptions and colours were seen all day. Muddy tracks and waterlogged paths from KZN’s incessant rains didn’t slow us for a second. Although, a very close encounter with a rather large bull elephant made us thankful for the reversing camera as we hastily backed out of a twisty section of gravel…
Further exploration of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and St Lucia surrounds allowed us to go where some tourists had to stop in their rentals. This Big 4 park, without any lions, is home to the famous St Lucia hippos, though we managed to avoid any heart-racing encounters by admiring them from afar… on a boat. We explored as far as the pristine Cape Vidal beach, which was completely desolate, thanks to arriving there a week ahead of the schools mid-year break. We highly recommend both parks should you ever be in the area.
A few days later we were back in the heart of KZN, visiting friends and family, with the opportunity to ferry folks around. Some complained about the height of the Fortuner, struggling to jump up into the cabin, although that same height was a real boon off road. Most, however, were impressed by the Fortuner’s ride and comfort. And a few kids really enjoyed the rear-most seats, preferring those two chairs to the middle row.
Summary
The Fortuner is a staple of the South African motoring landscape. Since Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) first started offering the ‘Hilux SUV’, they have been sold by the proverbial (and literal) boat load. Deep into its life it is still outselling much newer models with almost 880 sold in June 2025 alone.
The range is well thought out and there are options to suit most buyers. The fact that is can fulfill the roles of highway cruiser, proper off-roader as well as family car make it a real ‘Swiss Army knife’, and would explain why you see so many of them on our roads. We are happy to report that the Toyota Fortuner GR-S has not diluted any of the inherent qualities of the model. We just really hope that more people would use the full breadth of its capabilities.
Model: Toyota Fortuner GR-S 4×4 AT
Price: R999 000
Engine: 2,8-litre inline-four turbodiesel
Transmission: six-speed, automatic AWD
Max power: 165 kW
Max torque: 550 N.m
0-100 km/h: n/a
Top speed: 180 km/h
Fuel consumption: 8,4L/100 km (9,2 as reviewed)