The first generation of the Toyota Fortuner was introduced in 2004 and, over its 11 years of production time, it was refreshed twice: in 2008 and 2011.
The latter was the last before the second generation.

Based on the same chassis with the well-known Toyota HiLux, the Fortuner took its name from the word “Fortune”. It was a vehicle that searched for its luck in countries where poor road conditions required a rugged, reliable, suspension, a known attribute of the HiLux.

The facelift brought more chrome and new headlights to the Fortuner. The high ground clearance and the tall greenhouse made the car looks massive. From the side, the big C-pillar was not needed for structural integrity since the car was chassis-based, but it was needed for roll-over crash-tests, mandatory in some countries where the Fortuner was sold.

Inside, the Fortuner offered room for up to seven passengers. The last row featured side-mounted folding seats for two adults, but without offering too much space for them. The dashboard was carried over from the HiLux. Depending on the trim level, it was available with leather seats, automatic climate control, and an infotainment unit with navigation system.

For the engine compartment, the Fortuner was offered with a 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine. It was mated to either a six-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic. For the suspension, it kept the front wheel independent system and a rigid axle with leaf springs in the back.