Prime Minister Narendra Modi disregarded his customary Range Rover and drove the Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Toyota Fortuner through the airport to the Prime Minister house in Thrusday.
Putin Carpools With PM Modi In A Toyota Fortuner
The car, which has the registration number of MH01EN5795, was in the news last week after photos of the car details leaked out on the internet, showing the model and configuration used to transport the high-security goods.
As shown in the registration information, the vehicle is a Toyota Fortuner Sigma 4 MT, which is a motor car according to the Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) emission regulations.
The vehicle is a diesel-powered vehicle that belongs to the specialised fleet commonly used by the security agencies to move the VIPs around. The registration records also indicate that the Fortuner that was used in the convoy was registered on 24 April 2024, thus 1 year and 7 months old.
The vehicle has a fitness certificate and a Pollution Under Control (PUCC) certificate that is valid until 23 April 2039 and 25 June 2026 respectively.
This information shows that the automobile belongs to a newly renovated fleet that is well kept to comply with the safety and emission regulations necessary to transport the VIPs.
Big win for Toyota Fortuner. 🇮🇳🇷🇺
pic.twitter.com/Gofgi7YFvW— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) December 4, 2025
Why was a White Toyota Fortuner picked for the VIP Movement?
The white Toyota Fortuners are common among security officials in the road moves of their VIPs since the model is common in their government fleets, blends well with their official convoys and provides high levels of stability and ground clearance.
This standard look and colour that is uniform assists in keeping a low profile and it still passes safety and operation demands during high-security transportation.
The picture posted on the Internet also depicts the registration site warning the owner of the date of the expiry of the vehicle own damage policy, but this is probably the automatic information that is being provided regularly, and has nothing to do with the movement of dignitaries.
Why the ‘MH’ Number Plate?
Authorities made no statement as to why a Maharashtra-registered vehicle had been used to drive him but the use of a fleet based on a variety of states and areas is common with security agencies to be used with high-profile visits.
The capital has now gone into a full security measure due to the visit of Putin. The standard plan includes armoured vehicles, escort vehicles and route sanitisation.
Nevertheless, the use of a regular registration plate on the Fortuner has elicited the concern of the people since such movements are normally concealed using special plates or unmarked convoys.
Although the convoy usually has specialised armoured cars, Fortuners and Innovas are often added as support vehicles to allow more flexibility in operations.
The application of the Fortuner implies practicality and conformity with existing fleet standard that is in use by the agencies like the SPG and the Delhi Police.
Prime minister Narendra Modi went against the established etiquette by himself receiving his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Palam Airport on the evening of December 4. The action is indicative of the level of friendship that has developed between the two leaders during the last 10 years.
How did the Internet react to Putin commuting in a Toyota Fortuner?
they made Putin sit in Toyota Fortuner !!??!?!! pic.twitter.com/g5DJftv5LJ
— soham parekh (@phantomthread_d) December 4, 2025
Modi ji : Use swadeshi, Vocal for local
Reality : Fortuner (Japanese Toyota)
Hypocrisy at its peak 😭
— Veena Jain (@Vtxt21) December 4, 2025
Toyota Fortuner sales are going to make new records! #VladimirPutin #ModiPutin pic.twitter.com/3etywuHbnb
— RS (@WithRitesh) December 4, 2025
Modi ji and Putin ji travelling in Toyota Fortuner.
No Rangerover
No Mercedes
Using Japanese car is also a message !!
— Akshit Singh 🇮🇳 (@IndianSinghh) December 4, 2025
