2025 Toyota Fortuner Neo Drive first drive review: Now with 48V mild-hybrid assist

The all-new Toyota Fortuner Neo has been launched in India today with a 48V ISG. The 48V battery assists with linear acceleration and better fuel-efficiency. Updates also include an all-new drive mode selector with Eco, Normal, and Sport modes. The Neo Drive variants are available in the standard 4x4 Fortuner, and the 4x4 Fortuner Legender. The 360-degree-camera and wireless charger that were earlier only available in the Legender have now been brought down to the standard Fortuner also. Prices for the Toyota Fortuner Neo starts from ₹44.7 lakh.

9 years. It’s been 9 years since Toyota has launched the second-generation Toyota Fortuner in India, and has managed to keep the model running with incremental updates and facelifts. They have also added variants like the Legender and the GR-Sport to make the appeal greater. And the Fortuner Neo is another one of these updates. It’s not significantly big as it's not a full-blown hybrid and rather a mild-hybrid with a 48V ISG. I head to Bengaluru, the brand’s home, to get behind the ’wheel of the Toyota Fortuner Neo and see if it's any good. Read on!

2025 Toyota Fortuner Neo Drive 48V design

The Toyota Fortuner’s design remains unchanged from before. There are no new elements on the outside, and the only way to distinguish the Fortuner Neo from the standard variant is the Neo Drive badging on the tailgate. The kerb weight has gone up by approximately 10kg because of the addition of the new battery. The trapezoidal grille, pontoon shaped bumper, LED headlamps with DRLs, and LED tail lamps continue to do duty. The Legender continues to get the sporty and aggressive grille and bumper.

2025 Toyota Fortuner Neo Drive 48V interior and features

The all-new Toyota Fortuner Neo Drive 48V’s biggest change is the placement of the 48V battery. It sits under the floorboard but there’s a small hump inside under the second row seats. But it's not an issue, because the hump doesn’t affect headroom or any space in the cabin. There are a few other changes to the cabin, mainly applicable to the standard Fortuner over the Legender. This is because the 360-degree-camera and wireless charger which were previously available only with the Legender are now available in the Fortuner as well. 

What’s completely new is the Mode selector which lets you choose between Eco, Normal, and Sport modes, compared to the buttons which were there previously that sat under gear lever. There’s a new Drive mode switch that lets you choose between Sand, Mud, Rock, Dirt, and Deep Snow modes. The analog dials for the cluster, flanked by the 4.2-inch MID continues, but now it gets a hybrid-specific display that shows the battery level remaining. There’s also a new Start-stop system switch in the car, and you can switch off the hybrid system if you don’t want it to cut the engine at stops and signals. What’s bad is that while the standard variants continue to get ventilated seats, the feature has been removed from the Neo Drive variants in both the Fortuner and the Legender. The 11-speaker JBL sound system, 8-inch touchscreen info system, powered front seats, and connected car features continue from before.

2025 Toyota Fortuner Neo Drive 48V performance and driving impressions

The Toyota Fortuner Neo Drive 48V sports the same 2.8-litre four-cyl engine as before, and power figures also remain unchanged at 201bhp and 500Nm. The small electric motor is capable of generating 20bhp, but in this case it doesn’t change power outputs. What it does is assist with linear torque delivery, better fuel-efficiency and regenerative braking.

On the driving front, very little has changed. With the torque assist, the jerky launch from a standstill has gone and instead the car accelerates gradually, making the ride much more comfortable for the driver and passengers. The biggest difference this would make is driving in city traffic because it completely changes the torquey nature of the Fortuner and will not make it lift every time you give throttle. The addition of the 48V battery also helps by increasing the fuel-efficiency by a small amount – Toyota claims the efficiency has gone up by 46km on a full tank – and if you do the math, the figure stands at 0.58kmpl more than before. This figure is also relevant only if your commute is in the city, on the highway it will not make any difference.

The regenerative braking is also not as hard as what you get in EV cars, and it cannot be adjusted. It assists mildly with deceleration while driving, and will come in handy when in heavy traffic. The torquey nature of the Fortuner, which was also its USP, continues but has just gotten more refined from before, and there’s plenty of power on tap once you reach the mark where the turbo spools up.

The Neo Drive is only available in the 4x4 variants, paired with the 6-speed AT, and it continues to get paddle shifters as well. Overall, I think the update is pretty incremental and isn’t going to cut it anymore. These updates are just enough to keep the cycle running and ensure the brand is still able to sell units. What we need is a new-generation Toyota Fortuner, and hopefully we’ll get one soon enough!

2025 Toyota Fortuner Neo Drive 48V price and rivals

The Toyota Fortuner Neo Drive 48V’s pricing starts from ₹44.7 lakh, for the standard Fortuner 4x4 Neo Drive 48V variant. The top-end Fortuner Legender Neo Drive 48V costs ₹50 lakh, and the Neo Drive variant is only available in the 4x4 variants. The Fortuner has been leading sales in this segment since a while, but it has a few rivals – the MG Gloster priced at ₹41 lakh, the Scoprio-N priced at ₹14 lakh, the Jeep Meridian priced at ₹25 lakh, the Skoda Kodiaq priced at ₹46.89 lakh, and the Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line priced at ₹49 lakh.