Toyota Fortuner

The fan club of Toyota’s SUV, the Fortuner, looks set to grow with its second generation. Here’s why

With every new generation of their people-movers, Toyota has taken the game forward by massive leaps. We saw it when they replaced the simple, boxy but effective Qualis with a modern and upmarket MPV, the Innova; the recently introduced Crysta takes the story forward with a premium air that makes the older Innova feel a bit rudimentary in comparison. The promise remains the same as Toyota replaces their much admired SUV, the Fortuner, in India. However, our expectations were raised even higher at the media drive event as Toyota officials spoke of benchmarking the Fortuner against the Prado during development stages! We got a day with the petrol automatic and diesel manual variants to get a sense of just how much of a step forward the Toyota SUV really is. Luxury of Petrol Our day started in the petrol variant of the Fortuner. Right from when you crank it over, you know why petrols are apt for luxury. This four-cylinder engine settles into a quiet and smooth idle, and sitting inside the cabin you can’t even make out it is turning over. On the narrow streets of Kochi, we ambled along at moderate speeds and the refinement continued to impress. Navigating...read more »

Toyota’s highest-selling SUV gets ‘sportier’ looks

The Fortuner has been the best-selling SUV for Toyota since it was first launched in 2009. The second generation Fortuner came in last year and continued this winning streak. Now, Toyota has come up with a sportier-looking variant, the Fortuner TRD Sportivo. The new variant has been launched at a price of Rs 31.01 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and will be offered only in Pearl White colour.The SUV gets TRD-inspired exteriors with front and rear bumper under-spoilers. At the front, the car gets a new TRD radiator grill with a lower grill cover. On the side, the TRD variant gets 18-inch TRD alloys with exterior accents on the doors. It also gets a ‘TRD Sportivo’ badge on the tailgate. Inside, there is nothing new in the cabin save for the red stitch accents on the seats. The Fortuner Sportivo shares its features with the standard model, like the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, park assist with back monitor and sensors, and automatic climate control. It also gets features like Auto Bi-beam LED with DRLs, LED fog lamps and smart entry with push-button start. On the safety front, it gets 7 SRS airbags, 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, EBD, and brake... read more »

With the entry of the menacing Isuzu MU-X, should the Toyota and Ford be worried?

Toyota also registers 52% growth in sales compared to April last year