[dkaile]

Independence Day Musings - Interior Pictures

I utilized the holiday to click some pictures of the Falcon's Interiors -

Lets Start with the Steering -


The Toyota Emblem in chrome. I love it.


The MID Switches and quality of leather stitching on the steering


The Indicators and Headlight/Fog Light Stalk. Reeks quality and built to last feel.


The Wipers/Intermittent/Back Wiper Stalk. Note it has mist and timed intermittent. Also reverse wiper with spray controls. The front spray is spread evenly across the windshield by a special nozzle on the bonnet.


Controls for the Electric Adjust of Side Mirrors, Electric Folding, Optitron Meter Brightness Control, Headlight Leveling device for High Beam, Security Indicator. Extra Switches space.


Illuminated Ignition Switch


Assist Grip on driver Side A Pillar. Also visible is the Tweeter.


Assist Grip on Passenger Side A Pillar. Also visible is the Tweeter and the Closed A/C Vent


Similar Assist Grip on Both Rear Doors with Coat Hanger on each


Vanity Mirror of the Passenger Sun Visor only


Sun Glasses Holder with the twin front passenger reading lights and the rear view mirror


Now Open. Notice the soft padded material inside


Close of the Tweeter in it's plastic housing. Would have preferred a chrome housing or a chrome ring at least.


Day and Night Rear View Mirror


The beautiful White Optitron Meters with a Central Chrome Ring.
One of the main reasons to get the Classic Fortuner quickly as I strongly dislike the blue coloured ones in the face-lifted one


The ergonomically perfect Pedals with a large sized dead pedal


The lockable Glove Box


Ample space inside


The quite good sounding 6 CD MP3 Changer and MID Display. Note the FE has fallen to 10.9kmpl in the city.
Also my favorite artist is playing in it...
Also note the wood colour inserts. This one looks much better than the Grey ones coming in the face-lift which look absolutely hideous according to me...


The Fantastic Auto Climate Control. An absolute Chiller

More to follow...

[dkaile]

More Interior Pictures -


Lets Start with the 3 set of Keys we get. 2 are full fledged keys with remote (the first 2 on the left, top and bottom view) and the 3rd is an attendant key without remote and can also not open the glove box to give to the parking attendant.


The Main leather stitched gear shift. Built to last...


The High Low Ratio Gear Shift


The Park Assist and Rear Cool A/C Switches


Besides them the Additional front Power Point Switch for attaching your mobile charger etc.


The Cigarette Lighter (can also be used as an additional power point up front)


And the Ash Tray. As I strongly detest smoking and use it to store my petrol bills and toll tickets... lolz


The Central Locking and Power Windows controls on the driver's door arm-rest


The beautifully stitched Driver's Seat though I was critical of the central stitching. It has become comfortable after removing the plastic though...


Seat-back pockets behind both the front seats


The Driver Airbag inside the steering wheel


The Passenger Airbag on the dashboard (above the glove box)


The beautiful chrome Door Handles on all the four doors


The Front Door Pockets. Can easily hold a 1 liter bottle and some magazines/maps


The Rear Door Pockets. Also fits a 1 liter bottle and a smaller magazine holder


Pop-out Cup Coolers for BOTH the front passengers below the side A/C vents. Neat...


Foldable Cup Holders for the Middle Row Passengers. Also fits a 1 liter bottle. Also note the low central tunnel for ease of seating to 3rd passenger on the middle seat.


The Central Open Storage. Easily stores a 1 liter bottle and space for mobile, ipod etc.


The very wide Center Arm Rest. Would have liked a cushioned top instead of the hard one...


Huge Storage below the Center Arm Rest. Very deep, about 8", can take a 10" bottle dues to space on closing top.


All front A/C vents can close fully


2nd and 3rd Row A/C Vents


3rd Row A/C vents. All the passengers are cool...


3rd Row Cabin Light. Also can be controlled by Door opening/closing and has theater effect too...


3rd Row Left hand side has 2 Full 1 liter bottle capable cup holders and arm rest


3rd Row Right hand side has 1 Full 1 liter bottle capable cup holders and arm rest


Sufficient Boot Storage available even with all 3 rows down. Much more than my Qualis


Boot Right Side with Power point, Grocery Hooks (on both side with 8kg capacity) and cover for storage of jack and tools


Jack and Tools revealed


Separate Power Point in the boot

Phew!!! Those were a lot of photos... I hope you like the photo quality.

[Utopian]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Thank you Utopian; They really should now! I am getting used to Meerut traffic; Roads are wide enough but traffic kills. Was apprehensive at first but then when I see all these Safaris, Scorpios and other TForts buzzing around, I feel encouraged. And the new Delhi-Dehradun highway is taking shape and the toll has started just outside Meerut. Also the 67 km 8 lane dedicated expressway to Delhi just got cleared and should also start taking shape soon...

I had to travel to and fro from Delhi to Meerut today. The bypass route was totally blocked when I had to return to Delhi in the evening. Had to come via. Hapur route eventually. Thank God, I was not driving.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Utopian

I had to travel to and fro from Delhi to Meerut today. The bypass route was totally blocked when I had to return to Delhi in the evening. Had to come via. Hapur route eventually. Thank God, I was not driving.

I think you must have got stuck in the Rakhi/ID Holiday rush. This is a rare occurrence and happens to me even in Delhi. I try not to take to the roads during these times. I remember being stuck at Andheria More in Delhi for 4 hours about 2 years back during the marriage season. Some people reached the weddings well after all the baraat's had left...lolz. As I said, traffic is a killer, not only in Meerut but the entire Delhi NCR area. Also this recent Kanwaria phenomenon literally imprisons us for 10 days of our lives every year in this entire region.

By the time new expressways/flyovers are ready, we pump in double the number of vehicles on the road. So things stand at status quo with respect to ease of driving. But the Meerut Dehradun stretch is coming up nicely and well made for the first 70kms from Meerut. The drive to the hills will be relaxing soon in a year's time.... Drive Safe.

[Utopian]

You are right in saying that traffic here can trouble that way, especially the nightmarish route b/w Gurgaon & Delhi which I have to take for work. Lets hope the things don't deteriorate further.
Moving on to your Falcon, excellent detailing, man. I never knew the car has so many cubbyholes to store all that stuff. .

[GTO]

Congrats on the T-Fort, Dkaile, and thanks for sharing a wonderful review with us.

Though I'm a lover of sedans for their superior handling (vis a vis SUVs), I will need an SUV sooner or later (can you believe we took an extra car along on a 600 km road-trip last weekend, just to accommodate a 6th person??!). I have my eyes set on the Fortuner; however, the pre-worshipped fan in me won't allow the right hand to sign 20 lakhs off on a new vehicle. Thus, I might just get a used Montero or Landcruiser when the time is ripe. Nevertheless, if one has to buy new, the Fortuner is indeed the best 20 lakh SUV out there. Absolutely indestructible, and built to serve you reliably for many years to come.

Drive safe.

[Guderian]

Hi dkaile,
Some Ex Guv'nor of California said once - I'll be back...and so am I !

Though formally I had congratulated you on Togo Channel - here is another round of applause and a big shabaash on getting the Falcon and starting this great thread.

Wishing you and M.Falcon a great time together ! May you, Falcon and the family travel many thousand delighful KMs.

Looking forward to regular updates and juicy bits as always.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by GTO

however, the pre-worshipped fan in me won't allow the right hand to sign 20 lakhs off on a new vehicle. Thus, I might just get a used Montero or Landcruiser when the time is ripe. Nevertheless, if one has to buy new, the Fortuner is indeed the best 20 lakh SUV out there. Absolutely indestructible, and built to serve you reliably for many years to come.

Drive safe.

Thank you GTO. Means a lot coming from you. I know you have a great knack of getting great deals (as in the case of your pre-owned Civic and HC) but even if you do sign that dotted line, I can assure you that you won't regret it. Just a few months left for this Classic Design to get into the 'Hall of Fame' forever aka the Qualis...

Originally Posted by Guderian

Hi dkaile,
Some Ex Guv'nor of California said once - I'll be back...and so am I !

Though formally I had congratulated you on Togo Channel - here is another round of applause and a big shabaash on getting the Falcon and starting this great thread.

Wishing you and M.Falcon a great time together ! May you, Falcon and the family travel many thousand delighful KMs.

Looking forward to regular updates and juicy bits as always.

Thank you General Sahab. You were an inspiration for me to proceed to that dotted line and I am enjoying every bit of it.

----------------------
Coming Back to the Channel Falcon (as Sir Guderian has christened it)...

Searched a FM Transmitter Contraption (make: Convex, price: 400 bucks) and here's how it looks -


Comes with a Remote too! Thats my 4GB Pendrive attached to it


Attached to the Cigarette Lighter Point


It even has a blue display!


Tuned to the very start (or end for that matter) of FM channel for best sound quality

Verdict: Coming to the heart of the matter, the sound quality, is just ok types. The bass is low and volume needs to be upped to 20-25 levels (Total Volume control in Fortuner goes up to 63) for it to sound something. However it does the job, both through USB and Aux In (it also has a micro sd and sd card slot), but will never satisfy the audiophile in me...

-------------------------

Also searched some good ICE upgrade option at very low price (as low as 15K) for 7" touchscreen with Voice Guided Navigation with official Sygic Maps on SD Card, Bluetooth, DVD, USB, Aux In, SD card slot et al... Drooling!! Details here - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ask-gu...ml#post2468822

[j76]

@dkaile i have tried the fm transmitter options and like you have never been satisfied with the sound quality. I have installed an xcarlink, which connects to the oem headunit on my toyota corolla, and i think they have these for a number of the oem headunits. You should check if they have one for the toyota Fortuner. I have the xcarlink connected to the back of the headunit and the cable and equipment in the glove box. There is a connector to the ipod, and you can control a few features from the headunit itself. Let me try and get you a photo of the one I have installed in my car.

[sachinj12]

Congrats on the T-fort! Been following your manual/AT T-fort thread.

Good that you bought the manual. Wishing you many happy miles. Drive safe

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by sachinj12

Congrats on the T-fort! Been following your manual/AT T-fort thread.

Good that you bought the manual. Wishing you many happy miles. Drive safe

Thank you sachinj12 for your best wishes
-------------

A thought came to my mind to check out the sales of relative cars to the Falcon. Source : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...s-figures.html

July 2011 Sales Figures of SUV's/similar to Toyota Fortuner

BMW X1 484 (Great figures and growing; Beemer Brand does it)
Chevrolet Captiva 113 (static)
Ford Endeavour 271 (Sales have dropped in last 6 months)
Mitsubishi Pajero 180 (still going strong after so many years)
Honda CRV 41 (nearly dead)
Hyundai Santa Fe 141 (static; could pick up if price dropped)
Maruti Grand Vitara 3 (buried)
Nissan X-Trail 35 (dropped from 52 in Jan, static)
Skoda Yeti 197 (fallen nearly half in the last 6 months)
Tata Aria 328 (picked up after 37 in May)
Toyota Fortuner 1030 (NO COMMENTS)

Comments are welcome on these figures...

[dot]

Congratulations dkaile on your Falcon. I was pretty much certain that we have witnessed all the innards of the Fort thanks to a certain ex-governor fan. But you showed us more. What a beast.
Or bird.

Have fun with the mighty set of wheels. There is no doubt that Fort is the best SUV in the country now.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by dot

Congratulations dkaile on your Falcon.
Have fun with the mighty set of wheels. There is no doubt that Fort is the best SUV in the country now.

Thank you dot; Sadly couldn't drive the falcon yesterday and am waiting for the Registration process to complete to start my highway trips. It is sitting in the driveway waiting anxiously.

What you say is quite correct I presume. As a complete package it does rule the roost for now till something better and cheaper comes along. But to all those soothsayers who claim that TFort is just an Innova with Silk Smitha body, I would beg to differ.

COMPARISON OF THE TFort with the INNOVA -

- It has a GEM of 3 liter heart, though an over-bored one from the Innova, but one drive and you will forget all about comparing with the Innova. Same does duty with slight variations on the Prado. Conclusion: It is NOT an Innova engine. Drive it to feel that. The 171ps power is not even comparable to the 102ps of the Innova. Its nearly double and to still say its an overbored Innova engine is a mockery.

- Though it is called 'medium sized' by American Standards, it is huge. The exterior styling is what sets it a class part from the Innova. The bonnet scoops, the side steps, roof rails et al, all add class and cost to the TFort.

- The all-time 4WD translates into great highway demeanor. It is scorchingly fast on the highway and the Innova grunts in this regards.

- I am no fan of auto transmission and the gear box is just fantastic with added high ratios for some off-roading. The docile plain gear box of the Innova is no match for this beast.

- The middle rows slide and recline just like any captain seats and with the center armrest behave just like one. This is a more practical approach tha a full fledged captain seat as it just requires a flick to put the arm rest fold away to accommodate the 3rd member in our Indian extended family.

- The tyres just have so much muscle that would shame the Innova. It alone must be worth a lakh extra for the alloys and the handsome tyres. The 17 inchers are made in Japan as I have previously mentioned and very able for highway handling and the 15 inchers on the Innova just can't match them in any way. It also features a full sized spare with alloy, so there is no cost cutting like it's German counterparts (read Skoda, BMW, Audi etc. etc.)

These above points alone make it worth at least 5 lacs more than the Top End Innova. Now to the minor stuff -

- The boot space is much more than Innova with all the 3 rows folded down

- The CD changer is a 6 CD one unlike the single cd changer one on the Innova

- The driver side windows is BOTH auto up and down unlike the Innova's auto down only. It also has pinch protection on auto up.

- The leather seat trim complete on all 3 rows and also on the doors which is missing in the Innova alone must be a lakh extra. It reeks class and quality

- The fuel tank capacity is 80L compared to the 55L on the Innova

- There is additional power point in the boot

- Roof Rails add much needed character to the TFort which are missing in the Taxi err... Innova

- The TFort's antenna is printed on the rear side window and a class apart from the metal stick on the Innova

- There are twin projector type headlamps on the TFort compared to the Single bulb system on the Innova.

- The glove box is lockable on the TFort unlike the Innova

- The chrome ringed optitron meter on the TFort is more class

- The Steering wheel, gear levers and the transfer case knob (missing totally on the Innova) are ALL leather wrapped unlike the plain ones on the Innova

- There is a separate Rear Cool switch up front on the dashboard on the TFort which is missing on the Innova

- The Outside Rear View Mirrors electrically fold also unlike the Innova which are only electrically adjustable but manually folding

- The ground clearance is phenomenally higher for the TFort which is understandable. 221mm to 176mm.

- The TFort has a much superior Theft Deterrent System than the plain jane key-less entry system on the Innova

- The wipers also get an additional variable timing control missing in the Innova

- There's Rear Spoiler with Integrated High Mount Stop Lamp on the TFort which is available at a cost on the Innova

- The cigarette lighter is illuminated too in the TFort unlike the plain one in the Innova

- The Front seats are Sports Type and much superior to the Innova

These are just some of the points. All these really add up to the cost and makes the TFort the most "value" proposition amongst the SUV's available in India with proper engineering. And to still compare the the Innova to a TFort is just UNTHINKABLE... But if some people still want to do it, I can only say 'Angoor Khatte Hai!'

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by dkaile

COMPARISON OF THE TFort with the INNOVA -

- The 171ps power is not even comparable to the 102ps of the Innova. Its nearly double and to still say its an overbored Innova engine is a mockery.
Its certainly a much better engine, no doubts about that.

- The all-time 4WD translates into great highway demeanor. It is scorchingly fast on the highway and the Innova grunts in this regards.
Again its a much better cruiser than the Innova thanks to taller gearing, and the more powerful motor. But the engine, the 4wd system, and the looks are the main differences from the Innova and that does not warrant a 10l difference, I'm sorry.

- I am no fan of auto transmission and the gear box is just fantastic with added high ratios for some off-roading. The docile plain gear box of the Innova is no match for this beast.
But the gear throws are the same, long throws. And it vibrates as much as the Innova. Yes the 'Low' ratios for offroading are great.

- The middle rows slide and recline just like any captain seats and with the center armrest behave just like one. This is a more practical approach tha a full fledged captain seat as it just requires a flick to put the arm rest fold away to accommodate the 3rd member in our Indian extended family.
Disagree, the captains seats are more comfortable in the Innova, and so is the 2nd row. Most people seem to agree with this. But then again its subjective.

- The tyres just have so much muscle that would shame the Innova. It alone must be worth a lakh extra for the alloys and the handsome tyres. The 17 inchers are made in Japan as I have previously mentioned and very able for highway handling and the 15 inchers on the Innova just can't match them in any way.
Looking at its size it most definitely needs these tyres and rims. Well the 15 inchers on the Innova can match them in comfort.

These above points alone make it worth at least 5 lacs more than the Top End Innova. Now to the minor stuff -

- The boot space is much more than Innova with all the 3 rows folded down
Is it? Much more? Its a bit more, and the 3rd row has less space than the Innova because of that.

- The driver side windows is BOTH auto up and down unlike the Innova's auto down only. It also has pinch protection on auto up.
Agreed Innova should have this, most cars about 5l should.

- The leather seat trim complete on all 3 rows and also on the doors which is missing in the Innova alone must be a lakh extra. It reeks class and quality
1l for that leather? Its nice, but you would get top of the line Stanley Nappa Leather for 60k, and the Toyota leather cannot be compared to that. Its durable and comfy but no match for nappa leather.

- The TFort's antenna is printed on the rear side window and a class apart from the metal stick on the Innova
What is the big class difference? Both recieve fm signals properly if I'm not wrong.

- There are twin projector type headlamps on the TFort compared to the Single bulb system on the Innova.
Headlights are much better but at that price it should come with Xenons.

- The glove box is lockable on the TFort unlike the Innov
Uselfull little thing.

- The chrome ringed optitron meter on the TFort is more class
How? The meters are the exact same. The housing is different.

- The Steering wheel, gear levers and the transfer case knob (missing totally on the Innova) are ALL leather wrapped unlike the plain ones on the Innova
Nice touch its a shame a 14l car like the Innova doesn't have this.

- There is a separate Rear Cool switch up front on the dashboard on the TFort which is missing on the Innova
I think its there on the Innovas with climate control.

- The TFort has a much superior Theft Deterrent System than the plain jane key-less entry system on the Innova
How?

- The wipers also get an additional variable timing control missing in the Innova
Present on the Innova V

- The cigarette lighter is illuminated too in the TFort unlike the plain one in the Innova
Again there on the Innova

- The Front seats are Sports Type and much superior to the Innova
Definitely.

These are just some of the points. All these really add up to the cost and makes the TFort the most "value" proposition amongst the SUV's available in India with proper engineering. And to still compare the the Innova to a TFort is just UNTHINKABLE... But if some people still want to do it, I can only say 'Angoor Khatte Hai!'

I'm sorry but I think you are going a bit over the top here with praises for the Fortuner. Some of it has no reasoning. We all give the Fortuner its due credit.

The Fortuner can be compared to the Innova, it depends what the person buying is looking for. If its for carrying a family or for comfort they can be compared. If its for offroading or image then of course not.

I understand you have the car and of course everyone does have a soft spot for their car.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

The Fortuner can be compared to the Innova, it depends what the person buying is looking for. If its for carrying a family or for comfort they can be compared. If its for offroading or image then of course not.

Very well said, the Fortuner is actually overpriced by atleast INR 500,000.00 if not more.
It dropped off my list of favs due to 3 main reasons: Bad ride quality, bad braking and Innova interiors.

However, like it is mentioned elsewhere, all the SUVs in the 20lac segment are overpriced too.