Why Fortuner? Why not Superb, Accord or 320d CE?
We wanted a new vehicle.
We wanted it to be under 20lakhs.
We wanted it to be a Diesel.
We wanted it to be extremely reliable.
We wanted it to be strong enough to be able to take abuse.
We wanted it to be spacious.
We wanted a vehicle than can take us anywhere.
We wanted a strong tough SUV.
Cost:
The Toyota Fortuner costs 19.35lakhs (ex-showroom Gurgaon), We got the Insurance done from outside for Rs.33k and Registration(Self) Rs.29,025 + Premium number charges.
I Like-- The 3.0 D4D Engine is a Gem.
- Trademark Toyota Reliability and Longevity.
- Mini Prado looks.
- Flexible and comfortable seating with AC vents for everyone.
- Lots of Space.
- Commanding driving position.
- Full time All wheel drive.
- Off-roading ability.
- Highway manners.
- Additional grip from AWD all the time.
I did not like-- Poor Brake feel and Brake fade after repeated hard braking.
- No Automatic Transmission option
- The Innova like interiors
- Lack of luxury feel
- Basic equipment levels
- Absence of TCS and ESP
- High NVH for a 20lakh rupees car
- Ordinary Ride quality for a 20lakh rupees car
- Not so great sound system with no Bluetooth, USB, Ipod jack.
Engine and Performance
Crank the Engine and the SUV will shake and start with the same engine note as the Innova. The Vibrations filtering through the gear level and steering at idle reminds me of the Innova, the NVH levels feel high for a SUV that costs 20L+.
The Engine has a very powerful and responsive Low-end. The Huge SUV pulls cleanly from very low 1000rpm, it delivers the power in a very linear way, the engine is in maximum torque zone upwards of 1400rpm. As a result Driving the Fortuner in the traffic is a very easy task, you can retain the same gear in conditions where you will be forced to downshift in other turbo-diesels.
Overall acceleration is very good with well sorted gear ratios. The wide powerband means you can stay in fifth gear on highways all the time.
The only thing i did not like about the engine is refinement at the top-end of the powerband, the engine lacks the free revving feel felt in the Captiva.
I tried some fun off road sand driving at a construction site. I could not believe the kind of torque this engine makes, the SUV powered through the sand 3rd and 4th gears in low mode in steep incline in sand.
Ride, Handling, Steering and Braking
The Steering weighs up nicely with speed and is adequately light at parking speeds, overall i find the Steering good though its not as direct and precise as Europeans but for a Toyota its very nice.
The Ride on good roads is very good but things start getting shaken and stirred as soon as the bad roads arrive, the Fortuner clearly cannot match the Pajero for the Ride and Handling but still it has a much better ride than its closest competitor the Ford Endeavour. Overall the ride needs to be much better for a 20lakh rupees car.
The additional grip from the AWD makes sure you don't get a rear out slide like an Endeavour if you push the SUV in a tight corner at speed. The high COG and high set body on chassis layout means this vehicle should not be driven a car on a twisty roads. The Fortuner can handle long sweeping curves on highway quite comfortably.
Possibly the worst part about the car is poor Brake feel. Our Fortuner has the recently upgraded brakes but still the pedal feel is very spongy, Brake fade after repeated braking is also an issue of concern. Toyota should provide better brakes with rear discs ASAP.
I found the actual performance of the brakes to be good on my recent highway trip on NH-10., the ABS lets the tires lock up a bit before kicking in. The tires scream loudly at slightest hint of locking up.
Interiors and Equipment
The Dashboard and lots of components lifted from the Innova are a big letdown. I don't like the brown color used on upper part of the dashboard. This SUV lacks the luxury feel of a 20L rupees vehicle.
The equipment list is pretty basic too. The Music system sounds very ordinary , its a in-dash CD changer but lacks the basic features like Bluetooth, USB and AUX-in. The AC with vents for all the seats is very powerful and chills in seconds, its controlled by a Automatic climate control, which is not very intuitive in Auto mode.
All the Seats are very comfortable. Driver and Passenger seats do not have controls to vary Lumber and under thigh support. All the seats recline just like the Innova and have very good space.
Fuel Consumption
Initially the car started with 8.5 kpl figure that has now settled on ~9-10kpl in Gurgaon driving cycle.
I did a 400km highway trip on NH-10 yesterday the result FE was 12.5kpl for the whole trip. The 80 litre tank has decent range on highways.