Toyota Fortuner: The Indomitable Leader of India SUVs The Toyota Fortuner has been the king of the full-size SUV segment for India for a long period of time. The Fortuner established itself as an epitome of superiority, toughness, and unmatched durability since its introduction in 2009.
On the city streets or the hill top trails, the Fortuner has earned itself a gruff and tough image as the go anywhere SUV with an unparalleled street cred.
With its rugged body-on-frame construction, torquey diesel engine and the backing of Toyota’s rock-solid after sales support, the Fortuner has emerged as the vehicle of choice among customers who want power, prestige and performance in a single package.
Bold and Muscular Exterior Design
The Toyota Fortuner is built with its own strong personality. Its aggressive on road presence stems from its high bonnet, wide grille, muscular wheel arches and sharp looking LED projector headlamps with integrated DRLs.
The facelifted model pushes the envelope even further with a chrome and blacked-out execution, depending on whether you go for the standard or Legender variant.
Its 18-inch wheels, roof rail and a 225mm ground clearance make it look tall and brawny from the side. At the back, the split tail-lamps and a massive bumper add to the muscular appeal of the Safari.
Other than the restrained modern touches this is no urban crossover, the Fortuner is maintaining the old school SUV appeal. Its sheer presence, whether in a driveway or on the open road, demands attention wherever it goes.
Spacious and Functional Cabin
Sitting inside, the Fortuner boasts big space, quality trims, and durability/functional touch. The seating position is relatively upright, and the driving position is commanding, with good forward visibility.
Things like leather upholstery, ambient lighting, and contrast stitching add to the car’s design appeal, especially the higher variants.
It gets powered driver seat, ventilated front seats (in Legender), multi-layered dashboard with soft-touch materials, big 8-inch touchscreen infotainment. The seats provide good under thigh support while second-row passengers will find abundant legroom.
Despite bein…The third row, which is still usable, is best reserved for children or smaller adults over long distances.
Storage is plentiful in terms of cup holders, bottle holders and an oversized glove box. It’s not as lavishly appointed as some of its more recent challengers, but the Fortuner has all the basics as standard, without jumbling up the layout.
Performance: Power to the Metal Under the Hood
One of the strongest points that the Fortuner has going for it is its engine offerings. It is available with a 2.7-litre petrol motor that generates 166 PS and 245 Nm, while the 2.8-litre diesel unit churns out 204 PS and 500 Nm (when had with an automatic transmission).
There are 6-speed manual and automatic gearboxes available and on the diesel there are 4×2 and 4×4 options.
Prefer a diesel that winds out without hassle and strong highway cruising ability as well as load-carrying capability? The Fortuner is an all-round off-road vehicle, climbing hills, running arctic tundra, and never missing a gutted highway.
It’s smooth, too, and the automatic transmission suits the diesel’s punchy nature.
The 4×4 configuration also comes with low-range gearing, electronic differential lock and a bunch of other features that indeed establishes the Fortuner as a hardcore, off-roading enthusiast’s delight. Be it snow, sand or rocks, the Fortuner takes it in its stride.
Ride and Handling: Made for the Rough Stuff
The Fortuner rides on a ladder-frame chassis- so instead of a smoother ride, road bumps and imperfections are felt more. The suspension set-up – independent double wishbone in front, 4-link with coil springs in back – is optimized for strength and off-road composure.
On poor roads or trails, the Fortuner simply wafts, soaking up undulations with aplomb. But at low speeds in the city, the ride can be kind of choppy. Top-speed stability is great, too, and the SUV remains planted when it’s moving at triple-digit velocity.
City light in the steering, it lacks feel at speed. Yet, the Fortuner remains nifty for its size. There’s body roll when cornering, but it’s well managed for a vehicle of this height and bulk.
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Features and Technology
It’s not a tech stand-out, but the Fortuner ticks most of the boxes buyers in this segment want to be ticked. The infotainment system is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and the sound from the 11-speaker JBL system in the (Legender) is phenomenal.
Key features include:
Dual-zone climate control
Connected car tech
Keyless entry with push-button start
Power tailgate (kick sensor in Legender)
Electrochromic IRVM
Rear parking camera with sensors
Cruise control
Wireless smartphone connectivity
That said, the Fortuner does miss out on a few high-end features such as a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera and adaptive cruise control that some of its rivals get.
Safety: Toyota’s Trusted DNA
There’s a decent amount of safety gear in the Fortuner, particularly in the newer models. The standard safety features include:
7 airbags
ABS with EBD and brake assist
Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)
Hill Assist Control
Fuel Efficiency and Ownership
Fuel economy isn’t the Fortuner’s best feature, but it’s pretty good when you consider its size and power. The diesel automatic gives you a mileage of about 10-12 km/l in city driving and a little over 14 km/l on highways.
The petrol is very thirsty at 7–9 km/l, so it doesn’t find many takers.
The Fortuner really excels in the long-term ownership stakes. The Fortuner’s success, a lot of it can be attributed to Toyota’s strong foundation in terms of robustness and after-sales service.
Its spare parts are easily available and also have service centers located in pan india and the resale value is among the best of the segment.
Pros:
2.8L Diesel heart under the hood which is not only powerful but also refined
A true off-road pickup with 4×4 system vs. 4×2
On-Road presence and strength of design
Excellent reliability and low maintenance
Spacious and practical interior
High resale value
Cons:
Expensive compared to feature-rich rivals
Ride is a little bit firm at lower speeds
Petrol variant is not fuel-efficient
Lacks some of the latest tech (sunroof, 360-camera)
Third row is best for occasional use
Toyota fortuner: Final Verdict
The Toyota Fortuner is more than a huge SUV, it is a phenomenon. It’s a machine that is built for those who appreciate strength and legacy.
Rivals serve up more tech and a smoother on-road ride, but where the Fortuner kills them is in spectacularly tough engineering, track-record reliability and straight-up presence.
Be it a city slicker, a highway bruiser or an offroad junkie, the Fortuner is a no-compromise package.
When every other vehicle is piling on the frills and character lines, the Fortuner is still being itself; simple and rough and rugged good-looks is an approach that will never grow old.