Toyota Fortuner Exterior and Interior
The Toyota Fortuner was always an SUV with great street cred and found a lot of takers for its size quotient. In its second generation, it’s still quite an imposing sight in the rear view mirror but is flashier, and perhaps, more polarising too. The saber-toothed chrome front grille ups the bling by day while the full LED headlights light up the night. Its marginally reduced height, window-line kink and floating roof effect make the Fortuner look more athletic from the side. The rear end is the cleanest bit of design outside. Sleek LED tail lights blend into the ‘Fortuner’-engraved rear chrome applique and unless you get the 4x4 versions, there’s no rear badging to speak of. The Fortuner seemed a tad shouty at first but the design has grown on many of its detractors. It’s also got a touch of Lexus zing to it!
While we won’t go so far as to call it a luxo-barge, the Fortuner is certainly more premium than before.The dashboard sits quite tall and gets premium silver highlights and there’s a generous dose of soft leather all around the cabin too. Its feature list is more befitting of the price too, and includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, the ‘Optitron’ multi-information display that shows a range of information including turn-by-turn navigation data, automatic climate control and a smart key with push button start/stop. Safety gets a big boost with 7 airbags equipped as standard, as do ABS with EBD, 3-point seatbelts on all seat rows and ISOFIX. Hill-descent control is exclusive to the 4WD version, and except for the 2WD MT, all variants get vehicle stability control, brake assist and hill-start assist too. The Fortuner is also a spacious car with great overall space in the first two rows. Three abreast is quite comfortable, though taller passengers will want for more headroom here. The one-touch flip middle row makes 3rd row access a lot easier but the last row is still best used for kids or short adults. There’s room for a few duffel bags with all seat rows up, while the rearmost seats flip up sideways to free up more luggage space.
Toyota Fortuner Specifications
Toyota offers the Fortuner with a choice of one turbo-diesel and one naturally-aspirated petrol engine, displacing 2.8 litres and 2.7 litres respectively. The diesel produces 177PS of power and 420Nm (MT)/450Nm (AT) of torque, while the petrol makes 166PS of power and 245Nm of torque. Both versions are available with a 6-speed automatic gearbox, and while the diesel gets a 6-speed manual, the petrol employs a 5-speed manual gearbox. Claimed efficiency figures stand at 14.24kmpl/12.9kmpl (MT/AT) for the diesel and 10.1kmpl/10.26kmpl (MT/AT) for the petrol.
Toyota Fortuner Variants
The Toyota Fortuner is available in different configurations rather than variants. The petrol is only offered with 4x2 and gets both manual and automatic transmission options. The diesel is offered with 4x2 or 4x4, both of which can be had with manual or automatic transmissions. You can also get the diesel 4x2 AT with the TRD Sportivo treatment which adds some cosmetic updates.
Toyota Fortuner Competitors
Ford Endeavour: The Fortuner’s arch-nemesis. It’s got more old-school charm than its Japanese rival but packs in some serious tech, including terrain modes, semi-auto park-assist and yes, a sunroof. The gizmos are accompanied by brute strength from its 3.2-litre diesel engine.
Isuzu mu-X: It’s not the most feature-loaded pick from the lot but is a good option for someone looking for a no-frills 7-seater SUV for lesser money than the Fortuner or Endeavour. Plenty capable off-road too.
Skoda Kodiaq: Luxury sedan opulence with some SUV capability. The Kodiaq is far from a hardcore off-roader but makes a strong case as a premium and feature-loaded 7-seater. An easy going upmarket SUV for the whole family that does get all-wheel drive for the occasional sticky or slushy situation.
Volkswagen Tiguan: A well-loaded premium crossover for five. May not be the first alternative on a Fortuner buyer’s radar but it’s more urban jungle-friendly.
ZigSays
The Fortuner is still an old-school ladder-frame SUV but is easier to live with thanks to the improved kit list. There are more premium alternatives available but it makes a strong case as a reliable, practical and capable machine. Plus, chances are you’ll get half of your money back when you part ways with it. Not a bad deal, eh?
