My Apologies for not being able to update the thread for long. This is not my personal car so hope you understand.
The Fortuner has just crossed 20,000km mark and just came back after the 20k kms service. I thought this would be good time to update. Thanks to the monsoons the roads in Gurgaon are non-existent now.
All is well even after a lot of abuse on the roads of Gur-GAANV. There are no issues to report, there isn't a single squeak/rattle, everything is working as good as it was on the delivery day. The car has been performing great all along. To sum it all- I do not have anything new to tell, everything is said and done in Post#1.
The best thing i liked about the car was the service experience. I went Toyota ASC just 15 minutes before closing time and asked them to perform a quick service this time, they said 1 hour, the truck delivered back with in half an hour. Cost = Just 3000bucks, that's even cheaper than my Punto(Fineprint: Toyota uses Mineral oil). But still 3000 bucks for a car that costs more than 20lakhs is CHEAP. What i do not like is there is a check up service every 5000kms, Oil change at 10k.
This SUV is built to last. It feels so sturdy, i can bet it will remain the same a decade later if maintained properly. The downside is it lacks the luxury feel on the inside, it's strictly utilitarian(But good one)
Ride is bouncy if compared to Cars and Pseudo-SUVs. Considering the high suspension travel, good off-road performance, live axle with non independent suspension and Body on chassis frame layout i feel it's perfectly acceptable. It's not Pajero good but it's not Endeavour bad either.
The Handling is on safer side, it won't excite you in the corners like a CRV or Outlander but it won't scare like a Endeavour in a tight corner. It surely feels top heavy like most SUVs of it's league, AWD does wonders in rain and gravelly conditions.
The gear ratios are well sorted. The lower gears are shorter and they get taller with higher gears, overall it offers a good balance between offroading and on road driving. The gear lever is placed a bit too high and shift action feels a bit crude for a SUV of this price. Personally, i would have loved to an AT option.
The engine has a very torquey low-end. It pulls very cleanly from as low as 1200rpm. Overall the power delivery is very linear, the torque stays all the way till the redline. The sudden rush at 2000rpm like seen in Captiva is absent, thanks to the linear power delivery. It feels slower than it actually is. This engine feels strained higher rpm, it's clearly not as rev happy as the Captiva.
The NVH is on higher side for a 20Lakh SUV. Vibrations can easily be felt at all engine speeds, the engine clatter intrudes the cabin all the time.
The Fortuner has been delivering 10.5kpl-11.5kpl in City use. On highways with speeds limited to 100kpl 14kpl is very easy to achive, or else 13kpl is what i have always seen. With 80 litre fuel tank the range is very good.
A few points-- AC is very powerful. Has Climate control but no Split Zones. All seats get vents.
- Audio sounds too average. Has a In-Dash 6-CD Changer.
- Steering controls standard. Also has controls for MFD.
- Gear lever is set too high.
- Low beam very weak, even with projector but does not blind oncoming traffic.
- High beam very Powerful but blinding for oncoming traffic.
- Driver's seat has very good under thigh support at lowest setting, Back support is very good too, lumbar support adjustment missing.
- Not a single squeak or rattle.
- Leather missing on the centre handrest.
- Interiors and Equipment list could have been better.
- Comes with 2 parking sensors with audio warning, Very Effective.
- Storage space sufficient, all seats get individual glass holders.
More Pics to follow soon........