To say that the Toyota Fortuner (Specs | News) has been a runaway hit for the brand in the Philippines is an understatement. But after 18 years, two generations, and many enhancements, Toyota is still not yet done with its venerable three-row SUV.

The 2023 (yes, our friends from Autofun Thailand continue to call it a 2023 model) Toyota Fortuner with 224 PS and 550 Nm of torque has been unleashed in The Land of Smiles. The same engine that currently powers our Fortuner GR-S, LTD, and Q variants locally will now get a bump of 20 PS and 50 Nm in the Thai-market GR-Sport. 

And if those numbers look familiar, they're the same outputs that the Aussie-spec Toyota Hilux GR-Sport is getting this September. 

The Thai Fortuner GR-Sport gets the more dynamic Gazoo Racing front bumpers and goodies, which our GR-S Fortuner already has, along with the rear bumpers.

Aside from the GR emblems and seat embossments,  it has a larger 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. Our Fortuner only has an 8-inch screen. It also has a tire pressure warning system for more peace of mind on long drives.

Same, same, but different

Like our GR-S, the Fortuner GR-Sport also has a monotube suspension that absorbs vibrations better, significantly enhancing driving performance. Another hop up in spec in their GR-Sport are the 20-inch chrome-black wheels which look like larger renditions of our LTD variant’s wheels. They are shod in 265/50/R20 rubber. Our Fortuners only wear 18s, by the way.

As with other new Toyota offerings and our own Fortuner GR-S, the Fortuner GR-Sport comes with Toyota Safety Sense and its usual complement of advanced driver assistance systems to warn drivers before collisions and provide lane departure warnings, automatic delay, and speed adjustment.

And as a bearer of the Gazoo Racing badge, the Fortuner GR-Sport is kitted with the sporting brand’s accessories such as Smart Key, Gazoo Racing Push start button, sport aluminum accelerator and brake pedals, and red brake calipers just like ours. 

So, it looks like only slight engine tweaks, a plus two in wheel size, and a larger infotainment screen are what we can hope for from this year’s Gazoo Racing, LTD, and Q Fortuner variants with the 2.8-liter 1GD-FTV. Well, it is still better than nothing.