Toyota Fortuner Facelift Unveiled

The Toyota Fortuner made a grand debut on the Indian automotive scene and has been an instant success. Not only did it give sleepless nights to the competition, it literally took the market by storm and has become a stable sight on Indian roads. It’s butch styling, go anywhere capability and ‘no nonsense’ approach to functionality have been further bolstered by Toyota’s legendary commitment to quality, fit, finish as well as their after-sales service. Thanks to this firm commitment the Fortuner literally became the king of the hill and remains the undisputed number one entry level premium SUV in India today. 

Despite such accolades, the Toyota Fortuner did have its share of criticism as well and these mostly revolved around the treatment to the interiors, which were too similar to the much lower priced Innova, and there was a solid market demand for an automatic version. When it came to the exterior design, nothing much was said, but there were a number of people who actually compared its looks to the Tata Safari! With the competition set to increase, it only made sense for Toyota to address these issues at the earliest.

With its first major facelift since its debut, it is clear that Toyota has been inspired to bring about a ‘family’ look to the Fortuner. The exterior silhouette remains largely the same however major changes include the Land Cruiser inspired HID front lights and large chrome grille, a wider bonnet scoop, and at the rear there is an extra dash of chrome which is flanked by the clear glass rear lights. On the inside, the SUV is looking more suave thanks to the large touch screen display that not only gives you access to the music and DVD system, it also backs up as  a rearview camera while reversing. The dashboard, is still Innova inspired, however the treatment is now more up market and frankly gels well with the Fortuner’s design flair.

While there has been absolutely no change to the 3.0 litre D-4D engine under the hood, Toyota has ushered in two new variants, namely a 4x2 manual and an automatic version. The full time 4x4 model will continue to be offered, however, for those who aren’t looking at driving their Fortuner off the tarmac, they can either opt for the 4x2, five speed manual or the four speed automatic. The automatic doesn’t seem very impressive on paper, especially for a vehicle of this class and caliber. Our wish list would have demanded a six speed autobox to say the least, and we hope Toyota is listening on this account. Having said that, the four speed automatic offers decent drivability. It is slightly sluggish at start up, however it does get going without too much of a fuss. The shifts between gears are smooth and there is no doubting the refinement of the gearbox. When it comes to overtaking, the gearbox is quick to kick down to a lower gear and allows for you to overtake with considerable ease. Where the box really leaves you wanting is while driving at high speeds.

The fourth gear doesn’t seem tall enough and there is a considerable amount of engine noise that makes its way into the cabin. It feels as though the engine is screaming for another gear. An obvious repercussion of this is that the automatic variant isn’t as frugal as its manual counterparts. It might not be the best highway cruiser with an automatic box, but where the automatic Fortuner scores major brownie points is in terms of ease of in-town driving. For prospective owners who are looking for an easy SUV to drive around town or more importantly be chauffer driven in, the Fortuner automatic should more than live up to the task.  

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The 4x2, five speed, manual variant however offers an entirely different story. Weighing almost 100 kilograms less than its 4x4 counterpart, the two wheel drive Fortuner feels extremely spirited and is an absolute blast to drive. It’s quick, refined and most probably will become the preferred Fortuner model to own amongst buyers in India. Considering the fact that it must be only a handful of Fortuner owners who really take their vehicle off roading, the 4x2 manual variant makes a lot of sense for those looking for an able SUV to take on the nuances of in city driving and those long highway trips. 

With this makeover and the addition of two new variants, it looks as though the Fortuner’s good fortune will continue. The competition has definitely has a lot to worry about as the formidable king of the hill is now even more worthy of the title.