What's the difference?
The Toyota Fortuner has been around since 2015 with very few significant changes in the years between then and now.
And that’s telling because the HiLux-based Fortuner has never managed to make the mark in its market segment that Toyota would so dearly like it to.
With a new Fortuner possibly due in the not-too-distant future – with Toyota’s mild-hybrid 48V V-Active system onboard perhaps? – it’s worth revisiting the seven-seat Fortuner to see how the current ageing 4WD wagon stands up against its fresher rivals.
Read on.
Something important has shifted.
This is the Skoda Enyaq facelift. Yes, it’s been barely a year since the original finally launched in Australia, after endless delays, in September 2024. And they’ve already gone and changed it.
Yet there’s more going on here than merely updating an ageing mid-sized SUV electric vehicle (EV), because Volkswagen’s Czechian brand is rediscovering its roots. The era of the $40K supermini seems to be passing.
And that’s terrific news for buyers and likely terrifying news for rivals like the BYD Sealion 7, Kia EV5 and Tesla Model Y.
Welcome, then, to the 2026 Enyaq Series II. Does sharper pricing stand for ‘Extra Value’ in this family-focused EV? Let’s find out.
The Toyota Fortuner is a family friendly wagon and a very capable 4WD, but it’s looking and feeling decidedly old, especially when cross-shopped against the current highly competitive 4WD wagon market in which vehicles are increasingly stylish, sophisticated and packed with driver-assist tech (that isn't clunky) and standard features (that are extensive).
The Fortuner is practical and easy to live with as a daily driver, and in GXL spec it makes a lot of sense as a functional not flashy off-road tourer, but it’s far from the best family 4WD wagon around.
Until a next-generation Fortuner possibly arrives, there are plenty of Toyota fans who’d happily settle for a current Fortuner – if they haven’t already.
The Enyaq facelift is a big deal, and hopefully the start of a fresh era for Skoda, marking a long-overdue return to brand values. Its first Toyota RAV4-sized family EV SUV nails it for value, functionality, comfort, ease, driving enjoyment, efficiency and even the overall ownership experience.
We have yet to drive the base 60 Select with that headline low price so cannot make a definitive call, but the more-expensive 85 Sportline proves Skoda is taking the family EV very, very seriously. Consumers considering a BYD Sealion 7, Kia EV5 or Tesla Model Y would do themselves a disservice to not check out the Enyaq first. The most convincing Skoda in years.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.