Why did Toyota PH drop the 2.7-liter gas Fortuner?

The 2021 Toyota Fortuner may already be available in dealerships nationwide, but for those that planned to get it with a gasoline engine under the hood, we have some bad news for you.

Toyota Motor Philippines has decided to drop the 2.7-liter 2TR-FE engine for the updated Fortuner. You read right, TMP will no longer be offering a gas-powered Fortuner from here on out and will only offer the GD series of diesel engines. But why did TMP decide to stop selling a non-diesel model of their best-selling SUV?

Well, according to Sherwin Lim, the first vice president for Vehicle Sales Operations at TMP, it all comes down to the percentage of sales. Out of over 220,000 Fortuner units sold since it was first launched in the country, the turbo-diesel models have always been the most popular. Meanwhile, the gasoline-powered model served as a niche alternative for those that prefer a non-diesel-powered Fortuner.

The gasoline-powered Fortuner continued to soldier on through the years (it even received a Dual VVT-i update in 2016), but it wasn't exactly a volume seller for Toyota. Apart from being a bit of a gas-guzzler, it also had a lot less low-end torque compared to the diesel versions. With most customers opting for the diesel-powered models for efficiency and power, this led to Toyota dropping the 2.7-liter gas engine from the lineup altogether.

With the 2TR-FE no longer available, this makes the Innova the sole IMV model to be available with a gasoline-powered engine locally. Could this mean that Toyota may also stop offering a gas-powered Innova in the updated model? TMP has yet to state anything about it just yet, including the presumed arrival of the 2021 Innova.

So for those that plan to buy a brand new Fortuner, don't be surprised if you no longer see a 2.7-liter gas option at your nearest dealership. The only way you can get a non-diesel Fortuner now is from the second-hand market or Toyota's Certified Used Vehicle (TCUV) program.

Do you think Toyota did the right thing in dropping the 2.7-liter Fortuner model? Was the gasoline-powered Fortuner an unnecessary addition in the Fortuner's lineup since it first arrived here? Chime in your comments below.