I find servicing in smaller cities/town lot more convenient. Easier to get appointments, marginally cheaper labour, lesser waiting time and service advisors don't push for unnecessary extras.

45,000KM update

During last couple of drives noticed the wiper blades were not cleaning properly, creating lines while wiping. Realised hadn't changed wiper blades since I bought car. Visited service center hoping for a 2-3K bill. Service advisor mentioned we can just replace the rubber instead of blade set. Pair costed about 750 plus GST. Entire blade set costs about 5K a pair.

Have switched back to Xtragreen and happy with results. Recently had to visit HP outlet and they were promoting diesel additive. Tried it but didn't see any perceivable difference, regen happened at around 250KM mark and not much difference otherwise. Xtragreen has higher cetane number too. That said cheaper than Xtragreen, costing Rs 1.7 more per litre than regular diesel.

All my cars now get serviced at Mangalore or Puttur. Compared to Bangalore, I find servicing in smaller cities/town lot more convenient. Easier to get appointments, marginally cheaper labour, lesser waiting time and service advisors don't push for unnecessary extras. Only downside is delivery of parts from factory takes a day or two longer. And as a bonus, you don't have to sit in traffic for ages to reach service centre.

From recent drive to MH

At United Toyota for wiper rubber change

7 year old design

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

They have a list of 18 parts to be changed and they have them in stock

Sharaf drops in a query via this page.

My name is Sharaf. I have been following Team-BHP for a long time. When I had the itch to get a big SUV, Team-BHP helped me to shortlist the Ford Endeavour. However, by the time I was ready, Ford stopped operations in India. Again, Team-BHP convinced me to go ahead and get a Toyota Fortuner, which I did. Team-BHP helped me in everything related to the purchase, DIY detailing and maintenance, which I am very much enjoying nowadays.

However, recently I had to face DPF issues in my vehicle and my vehicle is at the service centre for the past few weeks. Now I need Team-BHP’s help and guidance on to handle this situation. I have explained my experience from the beginning below.

I purchased a Toyota Fortuner 4x4 during the last week of March 2022. I was happy with the vehicle and had many enjoyable drives with it. I was aware of the DPF-related issues before the delivery itself, and I was constantly observing the vehicle's behaviour. Initially, everything was ok, and the DPF auto regeneration was happening around the 200–250 km mark.

When the vehicle completed 7,000 km, the AdBlue refill was done. When the vehicle reached 9,500 km, I booked the 10,000 km service at the nearest Toyota Service Centre. On the day of the appointment, during the morning time, while driving back from the airport, I was observing DPF regeneration happening and suddenly, the "DPF regeneration is needed; please visit the service centre" warning came up. The check engine indicator was on, and the vehicle went into limp mode. Immediately I took the vehicle to the service centre, and the SA said that along with the 10,000 km service, they would check the issue. As per them, forced regeneration should be good enough to solve the issue. As I had learned from Team-BHP about similar issues faced by other BS6 Fortuner owners, I explained and inquired, but they were clear that only forced regeneration was good enough. I agreed, and I got the vehicle back after the periodic service and DPF regeneration.

In Team-BHP, as a few other owners mentioned that they faced DPF issues immediately after forced generation, I wanted to check that and did a 250 km drive covering hilly areas and highways. During the ride, I didn't get any DPF issues. However, now the DPF regeneration was happening way earlier, at around 100–150 km intervals. So during my test trip, I observed 3 successful regenerations happening, and I was happy to think the earlier DPF issue may not be as serious as the one others had faced.

After that, I was using the vehicle just as before and didn't face any issues other than the observation of DPF regeneration earlier than before. After some time, my vehicle was due for its 20,000 km service, and as usual, I booked an appointment at the same service centre. Unfortunately, one day before the appointment, again the DPF warning was shown, and the vehicle went into limp mode in the middle of a trip. Somehow, I took the vehicle home (as it was Sunday, I couldn't take it to the service centre). The next day, I took the vehicle to the service centre and explained the situation. This time also, they were casual about the issue and mentioned only regeneration should be enough. So I dropped the vehicle at the service centre, thinking I could pick it up in the evening after work. Later that day, around 1 hour before my promised pickup time, I got a call from the SA, and he mentioned that their senior engineer checked my vehicle and recommended changing some parts including all 4 fuel injectors and reprogramming the ECU. The SA told me in the same sentence that it would take 2–3 days to get the parts. I was able to quickly recover from the shock and disappointment as I had already gone through the state, in a way, while going through other owners' similar experiences on Team-BHP.

Meanwhile, the SA mentioned that as they would be replacing, they were not doing the forced manual regeneration now. However, as I was expecting some urgent hospital visits (delivery related) and as it will take 2-3 days to get the parts, I asked him to do the regeneration and return the vehicle. I would drop the vehicle off after 2 days. He said he would discuss it and would call me back. He called me back after some time and this time, he mentioned that he checked and they had the parts available and could start the work immediately. Because of my situation at home, I asked whether they could provide an alternate vehicle. He said that was not possible, so I didn't have any other option. I said I would take delivery of the vehicle after regeneration and drop it off for the recommended work after 2 days. After internal discussions, he agreed, and I got the vehicle back.

When I picked up the vehicle after regeneration, it was behaving normally, but I didn't use it and kept it at home, thinking I would use it only if a hospital emergency arose. After two days, on Thursday, I dropped the vehicle off at the service centre for the recommended work and the SA promised me that I could pick it up on Monday. I trusted him and was hoping that by Monday everything would be sorted out. Meanwhile, I was checking on the Carrot app and I observed that on Saturday, the vehicle engine was running for close to 30 minutes, multiple times. I thought they might be checking after the injector was changed.

I called the SA and inquired; he mentioned that the work is in progress and everything is okay. On Monday morning, the SA called me and told me that the injectors had been changed. However, during their inspection, they found some issues, and they needed to change the ECM. I was completely disappointed. On top of that, he further mentioned that the particular part number was on the backorder list and they didn't know when the part would be available. They needed to send a request and TKM would respond with an ETA for the part.

So, my beloved vehicle has been in the service centre for the past 10 days, and I still don't know when I can get it back. Till now, I haven't got an ETA for the ECM that needs to be changed.

From the community, I would like to know if any 2021 BS6 Toyota Fortuner owners had to change the ECM for DPF issues. I read about many Fortuner owners facing DPF issues, but no one mentioned replacing the ECM to fix it. Or is it a case where the service centre fried the ECM during the reprogramming of the ECU?

Also, one more thing I would like to share here is that while talking to the service centre, it seems there is a defined standard procedure for such DPF issues for Toyota vehicles. They have a list of 18 parts to be changed and they have them in stock. So it seems just like they did in Australia, they are not doing a formal recall, but rather fixing it case by case.

Hope I can continue my wonderful driving experience with my vehicle.

Here's what BHPian ads295 had to say on the matter:

It is very VERY rare for an ECU to fail. So rare that I think manufacturers do not produce ECUs for replacement use, only for new cars.

I suggest you take ownership of this problem and find a good garage. An ECU will take horrendously long to source, and will most likely not solve the issue at all, notwithstanding the costs involved.

Here's what BHPian mtbrinjal had to say on the matter:

Recently faced DPF issue twice in one trip on my 2021 Fortuner 4x4 during a trip to Ladakh. It was the first time I had seen the warning “DPF Full Manual Regeneration needed. See Owners Manual.”

Had to perform Manual Regeneration twice because first time was incomplete. Thereafter took the car directly to Shree Toyota Leh where there were 5-6 local Innova Crysta taxi drivers with same issue. They had Check Engine Light and Manual Regeration was disabled. I was told to continue driving as manual regeration had cleared my dpf. They explained it’s because of the altitude.

But the second time it happened was in the plains at GT road near Karnal, while driving at over 80 kmph. This time Check Engine light was on and Manual Regeration button did nothing. Took the car next morning to Karnal Toyota. The technician told me that sometimes the DPF progress bar directly “jumps” to the warning mark, and at that point Manual Regeration cannot be performed. Car has to be taken to Worksop where they cancel Check Engine light and then only manual Regeration can be done. The technician told me to get injectors replaced if the DPF problem comes back.

I don’t know when and if I am going to see this issue again but I am worried about driving the car since then especially on mountains. Beats the entire point of owning a 4x4 and that too the “reliable” Fortuner. Certainly cannot relax during the drive as I have now developed a habit of pressing the Manual Regeration button to check DPF status.

Here's what BHPian WDYWFM had to say on the matter:

I own a 2021 Innova Crysta Diesel and the car went into limp mode twice in the first year of ownership. The DPF would be normal (1 bar) and in the next instance would go to maximum and the check engine light turns on. In this mode, the engine power is restricted and manual re-generation does not happen. When the second such instance occurred, the SA said the injectors have to be replaced. Post the replacement, the car is working fine (been ~6000Km so far). Auto regeneration kicks in at 200kms on average (but is variable; sometimes kicks in at 150km). While I was initially disappointed with the reliability of a toyota, the proactive replacement of the parts (and things working subsequently, so far at least) gives some re-assurance.

I recommend to get the parts replaced as per SA and enjoy your car

Here's what BHPian niINja had to say on the matter:

Why do I get a feeling that they messed up the ECM while reprogramming and now want to replace it?

ECMs are generally very robust and the failure rate is low.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Total toll charges came to around 9500/-, which worked slightly more than 1Rs/KM

BHPian PrideRed recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

For quite some years now, we having been doing road trips. With kids however we realized we cannot do road trips the same way we used to do earlier. In 2022 we were planning for a road trip, my younger kid was yet to complete 2(elder one was 5) and were not sure if kid can endure long distances. Northeast was under consideration, due to distance and kids age we decided to do Uttarakhand circuit. And instead of driving all the way from Bangalore, we flew to Delhi and then rented a self-drive car (Creta), drove from Mussoorie- Auli-Ranikhet-Rishikesh and few more places. Returned to Delhi by including Amritsar. We had covered close to 3K KM’s which gave us confidence and idea on planning trip with little ones.Come 2023 we were sure of doing roadtrip from Bangalore and had shortlisted Sikkim and Arunachal. While Sikkim was easier and would comfortably suit within 17-18 days leave, we had in hand, northeast was always a dream. After weeks of planning, finally shortlisted a plan. Thanks to friends, tbhpians who helped in refining and finalizing the plan.

While we did not have concrete plan for return journey and were keen on taking the same route back (visiting Vizag), made some changes last minute and decided to drive via Varanasi-Nagpur. During our Uttarakand trip, we realized 8-9 days on same terrain gets boring due to which we ended up driving to Amritsar for a change. So, we repeated same and ended up driving via Varanasi. Below is the itinerary and plan we finally did:

The circuit

The car for our trip

Day 1: Bangalore-Rajahmundry

We started from home at 4:00 AM and hit Tirupati highway in no time. Had packed sandwich for breakfast and Parathas for lunch which helped us in saving some time. Kids slept until we stopped for breakfast somewhere post Tirupati. Reached Rajahmundry by around 4:00 PM and checked in at Anand Regency which we found first while entering the city. Checked-in, freshened up and took a rickshaw to Godavari ghat. We spent some time at banks of river Godavari and returned back post sunset. Did some local shopping and back to hotel by 7 pm. Had dinner at hotel which was decent.

Hotel and Road

Hotel Anand Regency was decent and within city limits and was clean. Comfortable beds, spacious room. Since we kept most of our luggage in car, secure parking was important which the hotel had.
We took the usual Bangalore-Tirupati Road, which is in fantastic shape. One can easily do Tirupati in 3-4 hours. Tirupati to Nellore had some bad patches though did not have much issue with Fortuner. I driven via same road, 4-5 months before while visiting Vijayawada. Nellore- Rajahmundry was breeze, mostly 6 lanes as I recall.

Beautiful Godavari

Day 2: Rajahmundry-Bhubaneshwar

Day 2 was relatively easy journey as we had to cover only around 600 odd KM. Thought of visiting Puri temple but cancelled plan later as kids would find it difficult with queue and heat. Chilika lake was on the way and we spent some time by the lake. We were ahead of schedule and on the way decided to visit Gopalpur beach. Nothing fancy but a good and clean beach nonetheless. We had our lunch at a restaurant by the beach. It’s about 10-15KM detour from highway. Reached Bhubaneshwar by 4:00 pm. There were plenty of speed cams as we reached closer to Bhubaneshwar. So far haven’t received a challan, so assuming I did not go over speed or speed cams were not functional. Later for dinner, we went out to meet my college buddies and had a good time revisiting memory.

Hotel and Road

We stayed at highway Hotel La-franklin. The hotel was very close to highway which means easy exit next day. Rooms were good and had secure parking. Nothing fancy, just clean place which is what we were looking for.
Roads were good throughout though there was some traffic we encountered after exiting Rajahmundry city. The bypass to Vizag was okay and did consume some time. Roads are mostly 4 lanes, however one need to keep watching out for speed cam. Post Vizag bypass, we did not find good place for breakfast/Lunch.

@Gopalpur Beach

Hotel Parking

One with LC 300

Day 3: Bhubaneshwar-Kolkata

Started at 7:00 AM from hotel as we were anticipating rather easy drive. We did not find decent restaurants but few KM’s and we found series of sweet shops (might be Pahala) at highway and stopped for quick breakfast. We had some variety of rasagulla, some chats and some more sweets. While the place is not very hygienic, food tasted good and our tummy did not go for a toss. By noon we crossed WB and stopped at a Bengali restaurant for lunch. We reached Kolkata at around 3PM and settled at hotel Fortune Panchwati. Having visited Kolkata earlier, did not dare to drive and hired cab from UBER. Visited Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge and few other popular places. Did some shopping before settling at Haldirams for dinner. We found taste ok and did not rekindle same memories as last visit. The Jhal Muri near Victoria memorial which we had earlier was quite good. We spent good 4-5 hours exploring the city and felt the city hadn’t changed much since my visit couple of years ago.

Hotel and road

We stayed at hotel Fortune Panchwati which was at outskirts of city. We usually look for hotels which are closer to highway which helps us to check-in sooner and checkout without having to drive through traffic next day. The rooms were typical 3 -4-star grade and got a parking right in front of my room.

The roads were bad in some sections though nothing that caused problem to Fortuner or for that matter any other car with good GC. We took little more time than anticipated though, thanks to bad roads and diversions. I think Bangalore to Kolkata can be done in 2 days if you plan well.

Legendary Kolkata Taxi

@Kolkota hotel parking

Day 4: Kolkata-Siliguri

Going by threads here in tbhp and discussion with friends, this was supposed to be among the challenging stretches due to traffic, road conditions. We started early at around 4AM. Filled diesel on the way and gmaps took us through tiny villages. I don’t really recall the names and the exact route we took. While the roads were good it did take some time. Once we hit 4lane it was breeze/ We crossed dreaded Farakka in no time and after Malda, roads were pretty good. We did not stop for breakfast instead decided to use our packed theplas/snacks in car. For lunch, stopped at a restaurant before Farakka. Overall, may be the day we travelled or the time, the drive turned out to be much easier than we anticipated. A lot of bypasses were open, which also helped the drive. We were used to seeing tea estate in mountains but were fascinated to see tea estate in plain lands as we approached Siliguri. We stopped at places to click some pictures and some locals allowed us to take car inside the estate. Initially we planned to stay at city as we did not find good stay in outskirts but later found out a decent hotel near highway. Turned out its little interior though rooms were good and big. While we are used to staying at secluded place, was a bit apprehensive this time as we were the only guest at hotel. That said we didn’t encounter anything bad, had good dinner at hotel and called the day. Morning, we clicked lot of pictures and the campus was really beautiful amidst tea estate.

Hotel and Road

Stayed at Swastika Eco Park – while the place is nice, surrounded by tea estate, would not recommend to all as it is secluded and away from city and highway. Food was decent and hygienic. The approach road is bit off-road and might be difficult for sedans.

The roads as I mentioned turned out to be much better than we anticipated. Compared to previous day, felt the road surface was better and traffic was lighter too. Some bypass appeared to be opened recently, which helped the drive.

On the way to Siliguri

Captured at Siliguri Hotel

Day 5: Siliguri-Mangaldoi

Started at 6M and drive was scenic amidst tea plantations. Stopped at a small restaurant and had hot parathas for breakfast. We were not sure if to drive to Guwahati or stop at some other place. We could not find many decent places other than Bongaigaon, which we felt was too early. While casually browsing found a hotel Repose at Mangaldoi and decide to stay there. Found a Toyota service centre by highway at Barpeta Road and tanked up AdBlue. The local staff recommend hotel Rekha and we had sumptuous Assamese thali. While we were few KM’s away from hotel, spotted school folks practicing/celebrating Bihu and kids wanted to have a look. We parked car at about 50M away and event was happening at school ground near road. While we were at venue, noticed few folks in bicycle approaching car and trying to peek at stuff inside. Immediately we rushed back to car, they started moving back as they saw us come to car. It might have been folks were curious but I realised that we should have avoided parking as we were in a KA car in an unknown place. Nothing untoward happened and we reached hotel at around 5PM .

Hotel and Road

Stayed at Repose Highway Resort – one of the best stays in our trip with clean, well done and beautiful rooms. They had large play area for kids where we spent rest of the evening. Attached restaurant served some lip-smacking food and among the cleanest kitchens I have seen.

The roads were good and scenic. No major cities and driving across countryside were beautiful. Mostly 4 lane roads with few diversions. Also noticed a lot of huts supplying AdBlue, the price was around 57, which is significantly cheaper than Toyota AdBlue. Wasn’t sure about quality hence decided to fill at Toyota. Drove via Bongaigaon-Barpetta-Mangaldoi. We were driving very close to Bhutan border and on the way, we could spot a lot of Bhutan registered cars. Looks like Bhutan loves Toyota, lot of Old Prado/LC were seen.

Bihu Celebration near Mangaldoi

Day 6: Mangaldoi-Dirang

The drive was a short one though we had to climb. Probably could have made it to Tawang but we wanted to keep it short. Had a breakfast at hotel and started at around 8AM, and driving slowly, taking pictures and enjoying the drive. Stopped at what appeared like a tiny hut for lunch which served some good Momo’s and noodles. It was a nice lunch while some locals engaged in good conversation. Reached Dirang around 4PM. Initially we planned to stay at Bomdila but decided to push towards Dirang. There are few places you can visit like Shyok valley, Thembang village etc. We decide to visit monastery, which was beautiful and stroll around the sleepy little town. Dirang is at lower altitude compared to Bomdila and is by the river which is a different experience. We spent good enough time at monastery enjoying the views.

Hotel and Road

Stayed at Hotel Mandala which was neat and clean, just what we needed for a night. For what it offers, was a bit pricey but again had good parking and car could be seen from room. The hotel again is on the way to Tawang, which means easy start next day.

Road is fantastic, though single lane and twisty. We were asked for ILP (which we procured online) and checking was done quickly. The security personal checked IDs and let us through. We could see some snow-capped mountains. Traffic was sparse and we did take some detour which took us to some beautiful places.

Beautiful Dirang Monastry

Little waterfall near Dirang

Continue reading BHPian PrideRed's travelogue for more insights and information.

Total bill for service came to 16K which included 2K for skimming and 1K for AdBlue.

BHPian PrideRed recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

40K service update

Had taken Fortuner for a road trip to Arunachal. In addition, routine trips to home meant car covered 10K KM quite quickly. Me, wife, kids (3Y and 6Y) had a memorable trip , will try to compile a travelogue sometime. Fortuner is a lovely car for touring, was a bit apprehensive about DPF, thanks to custom mode by Toyota, a bit of planning and Fortuner conquered high altitude passes without issues. Roads, no roads, 4 lane, 2 lane nothing bothered us, car did perform brilliantly while offering good levels of comfort. After driving for 7-8 Hrs, we had energy to roam places and stay awake till 11PM. Extra space kept kids comfortable at back and third row seats were folded to make way for luggage. During travel the last thing we were concerned about was about road conditions. Unplanned detours, exploring remote places, we did not have to think twice if car could take us! Overall covered about 8K KMs and got FE of 11.5KMPL.

Coming back to 40K service, this was a major service, got car serviced at United Toyota Puttur. Was not forced for any value added stuff and only what is mentioned in manual was included. 40K service included oil change, filter replacement, differential oil(4WD specific). During return journey there was a bit of wobbling while braking at high speeds, hence decided to get disks skimmed as well. AdBlue had to be refilled , car gulped about 9L. Front brake pads may last another 1-2K KM as per service advisor. Haven't replaced this service, probably will do at around 41K KM, brake pads costs 7K plus tax and labour. Alignment, balancing and rotation was already done outside hence did not opt for same. Total bill came to 16K which included 2K for skimming and 1K for AdBlue.

There were lot of tar deposits, scratches and few stains. Got the car detailed at Mangalore. Opted for ceramic coating and interior cleanup. Happy with outcome and good to see car clean. Another major expense pending are tires, tires look good for another 6-10K KM. I am thinking of switching for AT as HT options are limited and good HTs are expensive.

Enroute to Bumla

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

With confirmation that this wasn't just for existing Fortuner and Hilux owners, I convinced my dad to accompany me to the event the very next day.

BHPian Cresterk recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Off-roading with the fortuner 4x4 at Toyota's off-road event

My dad and I recently took part in an offroad event set up by Nippon Toyota in Thrissur, Kerala. It all started with a random whatsapp message from the salesman who took my Hycross booking inviting me to their offroad event:

With confirmation that this wasn't just for existing Fortuner and Hilux owners, I convinced my dad to accompany me to the event the very next day. Knowing he is an ardent fan of rugged SUVs, I knew that he would probably enjoy this even more than me!

Arrived at the venue late in the afternoon to beat the horrid midday heat in Kerala. It was a large estate with an off-road track dug up and prepared. We were treated to our first glimpse of the Fortuners we would be experiencing, done up in the dealership's decals.

The second generation fortuner still strikes a handsome look despite being introduced all the way back in 2016.

Also available to drive was a red Hilux which looked very good in the sun.

After registering at the little tent they had set up, we were provided with yellow wrist bands to show that we would be driving. Meanwhile, passengers got red wrist bands. The dealership had kindly provided refreshments and snacks for the attendees.

Almost immediately afterward, we were shown to the car we would be driving. There were 3-4 fortuners available so wait times were minimal.

I shook hands with the off-road coach and decided to go first with my dad riding passenger. First thing I did was turn on the ventilated seats. These Kerala summers are no joke

The car was already in 4HIGH so I just slotted it into drive, turned on downhill assist control and drove headfirst into the track they had prepared. Here is a video containing the highlights recorded by both my dad and myself while the other was driving.

One thing that struck me was how effortlessly the fortuner went over hills, dips, inclines, declines and everything in the middle. I assumed i would need to use 4LOW on some of the steeper climbs but nope, it tackled it all in 4HIGH itself. Even more impressive, it barely needed me pushing the accelerator at all. Just had to give it a jab whenever it felt like it was slowing down and it kept going. I think I completed the entire track without even going above 2k rpm. I guess that's how it is when you have a massive 500nm of torque available right from 1500rpm from the 2.8L diesel engine.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

It has been a great experience thus far and I am loving every bit of it.

BHPian jbpanda recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

7500 km Update!

It has been close to 6 months since delivery of my Black Fortuner Diesel MT 4X4 and I clocked 7500 Km after a 1100 Kms trip to Dharamshala/ McLeodgunj undertaken over the Good Friday weekend and I just thought of sharing my experience here. Have not had the time to collate an ownership review but have been posting short updates and pictures on this thread, which were practically easier. It has been a great experience thus far and I am loving every bit of it. Since MT ownership is rare, I am taking the liberty of sharing below a summary of my experience thus far.

Summary of trips undertaken So Far:

• Bhubaneswar to Gurgaon (Via Sundargarh, Varanasi & Lucknow) - Approximately 1700 Kms
• Gurgaon to Chail and return (Via Chandigarh) - Approximately 1000 Kms
• Gurgaon to Landour (Via Dehradun & Mussoorie) - Approximately 700 Kms
• Gurgaon to Patiala/ Chandigarh and return - Approximately 700 Kms
• Gurgaon to Dharamshala/ McLeodgunj (Via Ludhiana) - Approximately 1100 Kms

Likes

• Power and torque at disposal [Tried the Sports mode for a short while over an open stretch and the vehicle just transformed into a beast and the monstrous torque pulls it like a train. It can take the car to insane speeds in no time. I drive in Normal mode which is more than sufficient for day-to-day driving. I have tried Eco mode but prefer the balance Normal mode provides.]
• Butter smooth gear shifts in manual transmission [I prefer MT over AT, which is a rarity these days. I love the gear shifts and my father also loves the gear shifts of the Fortuner much better as compared to his Innova Crysta]
• Menacing looks and particularly in Attitude Black it is a head turner (unwanted attention for a modest lawyer, who is mistaken for someone important which is not the case )
• Imposing road presence and excellent visibility [Other cars usually give way when they see this elephant on their IRVM. Even at circles and crossings, people do not try to cut you and prefer giving way without even bullying other cars, which is usually the reputation people associate this car with. The road visibility it provides is also excellent when you are literally sitting on top of a mountain.]
• Very good fuel economy considering the vehicle of this size [Initially I was getting 12+ kmpl and now I am consistently getting 14+ kmpl with mix of city and highway driving. I maintain prescribed speed limits of 50-70 kmph in Delhi NCR and generally use Xtra Green Diesel by Indian Oil.]
• Heavy steering which is good to hold on to [It weighs up nicely for the vehicle of this size. I like the hydraulic steering of my Abarth Punto so this steering is relatable.]
• Plenty of space [No worries about carrying extra luggage even for shorter trips, it is actually a 1 BHK on wheels. The average luggage that we have been carrying for our trips has generally increased.]
• Effectiveness of the AC [In spite of the black colour and size of this vehicle, the cabin cools in no time.]
• Highway cruiser and mile muncher [It can cover thousands of miles all day without breaking a sweat. Long drives are a breeze. The 80L fuel tank is also very helpful which provides a range of almost about 1000 Kms which will only get better with time and Kms on the ODO.]
• Go anywhere ability [Ground clearance, humps, roads or no roads, nothing is a concern. It can take you to places where most other cars can only dream of.]

Dislikes

• Ride quality [Our 6 year old kid who usually occupies the 2nd row feels nauseatic as compared to our trips in our Brezza/ Abarth Punto. My father's Innova Crysta's comfort levels are simply unmatched. However, the ride quality in Fortuner gets better with load, which I believe is typical of body on frame vehicles. I signed up for this when I got it so I am not complaining.]
• Size of the vehicle [With the wide roads in Delhi NCR, most of the time the size is not a problem. It is just that in narrow roads in the hills (Chail, Landour and Mussoorie) and in Cuttack and Varanasi that I found it a bit cumbersome.]
• AdBlue refills [Got the popup to refill at about 3500 Kms on the ODO when it consumed about 8 litres and now again at 7500 Kms on the ODO it has popped up. Though it gives you a range of 2400 Kms to enable you to plan and refill at your convenience, it is surprising to note the frequency and the amount of AdBlue it is consuming. Not sure if it is just me.]
• Horn could have been better for a vehicle of this size [Easier to upgrade but I prefer not to tamper and like it stock.]
• Headlights effectiveness could have been better for driving during rain/ fog [The fog lights improve the visibility but still inadequate during rain/ fog. I believe it is more to do with the white light, which is fine for normal driving but the effectiveness is comparatively low while driving during rainy/ foggy conditions. I understand the effectiveness and throw of the Legender's head lights are better.]
• Basic interiors and absence of bells and whistles for the price [While I am perfectly fine with the absence of it as the mechanicals, reliability and the driving pleasure more than makes up for it, but it would have been good to have some of those bells and whistles considering the price tag and in comparison to what the Ford Endeavour offered back then.]
• H/T tyres for 4x4 and A/T tyres for 4x2 [I have not been able to understand Toyota's logic behind this. Is it because of any price difference or some other factor? Since I have not used 4x4 as yet and would not be using it for hard core off roading, it may not be a necessity but for those who actually want to will have to necessarily upgrade the stock tyres.]

Sharing some pictures for you to enjoy!

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Thoroughly enjoyed the road presence and confidence/ ability to glide through good roads, bad roads and no roads.

BHPian jbpanda recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So I drove down my Fortuner Diesel MT 4x4 from Bhubaneswar to Gurgaon between 18 to 21 December 2022 travelling through the States of Odisha-Chhattisgarh-Uttar Pradesh-Delhi-Haryana. Total kilometres driven was 1723 Kms. My father drove about 500 odd kms out of it and rest of it was driven by me. We stayed over at Sundargarh, Varanasi and Lucknow enroute.

Roads in Odisha, UP, Delhi and Haryana were mostly good and in Chhattisgarh was horrible. Google map took us through some villages in Chhattisgarh where most cars can only dream of making it through.

Thoroughly enjoyed the road presence and confidence/ ability to glide through good roads, bad roads and no roads. The black colour is a dust magnet for sure but a dirty black Fortuner looks equally appealing and I am not complaining. The 80L fuel tank is very helpful considering the range that it offers during long journeys. We were 4 passengers with lots of luggage and maintained air pressure of 30 psi on all tyres. According to my father (who drives an Innova Crysta Diesel MT 2.4 Z), the gear shifts are butter smooth in the Fortuner and much better as compared to the Innova Crysta or for that matter any other car. Surprisingly, got an average of 11.5 kmpl while driving on Eco Mode and 12.5 kmpl while driving on normal mode. The display is accurate and matches tankful method by the decimal.

Now I am getting 13 kmpl during and after a 800 km drive from Gurgaon to Chail in the 26 January 2023 long weekend.

The car has done about 3500 kms and I will write a detailed ownership thread soon. For now, sharing some pictures clicked on my phone during this dream journey. Hope you like them.

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Initial impressions are quite good and while I do miss the MT once in a while, the sheer convenience of AT more than makes up for it.

BHPian cool_dube recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Having mulled over replacing the Fortuner with a smaller SUV (given the small family that we are), our recent drive to central India made it very clear that there is nothing else that combines power, performance, reliability, ruggedness, capability, and (very importantly) luggage capacity like a Fortuner does. So, the plan to replace it was dropped. That said, I had started to come to terms with the fact that traffic on our highways had increased drastically over the last few years, and was only going to grow. The premise of minimal gear shifts/clutch presses on highway drives - which was the basis of my decision to buy Fortuner in its MT guise - was starting to falter. The situation was aggravated by the fact that I was not getting any younger with time

All of this led to the thought of replacing my Fortuner MT with a Fortuner AT - there was simply no other SUV that came close, given my use case. A fleeting thought was to wait for the next-gen Fortuner, which could hit our shores by 2025 but there were a couple of nuances there too:

• It would be a mild-hybrid for sure, leading to increased complexity and possible drop in reliability quotient
• Knowing Toyota, the pricing would certainly be out of my reach

Current generation of the Fortuner is a well-rounded product, having been in the market for 2+ years now, and moreover, is the last big (pure) diesel engine that one can buy before hybrids and EVs take over. We had owned one for 1.5 years and had started loving it on long drives - yes, including the ride

Given all of the above, we sealed the (difficult) decision to replace our Fortuner MT with a Fortuner AT. Quick visit to my friendly neighborhood Toyota dealership was followed by evaluation of my 1.5 yr / 13,000 km old Fortuner by their UTrust division, a decent offer was made, and before I knew it, I had booked a new Fortuner Sigma-4 AT in Attitude Black. I really liked the grey color on my earlier Fortuner and would possibly have gone for the same on AT as well, but unfortunately, it was no longer available. Black has always been my weakness when it comes to SUV shades and despite being well aware of the super-high maintenance it demands, I succumbed to the charms of what is arguably the best shade for hulking SUVs.

So, long story short, we recently got our Fortuner 4x4 AT home. Initial impressions are quite good and while I do miss the MT once in a while, the sheer convenience of AT more than makes up for it. Paddle shifters are much more useful than what I initially thought them to be - one can achieve good amount of engine braking, not only on hills but also on plains, by using them appropriately.

With a busy schedule on both work and personal front, am yet to complete the run-in. Hope to put some good miles on the black beast this year. Signing off with a recent pic - just love that brute in black!

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Mileage in the city is close to 8 kml, while it goes up to 10 kml on the highways.

BHPian R_R recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A short review of my Toyota Fortuner petrol AT (4000km):

This is very late, I did mean write this up earlier but work and other commitments came in the way. So this ends up being a bit long: my apologies.

In the three months plus that I have been driving my new Fortuner petrol automatic, I’ve put in slightly over 4000 kms, which includes two longish drives from Gurgaon to the hills near Ranikhet. When I bought the Fortuner, I wasn’t entirely happy. I had never really liked the Fortuner, and I was somewhat disappointed I had to settle for it but it seemed the best suited to my needs, which was a car that could serve both city, highway and bad road long-distance travel, and would be reliable over the full 15 years I plan to keep it. It was thus a decision of the head rather than the heart, because my heart had been set on either the VW Tiguan (mainly) or the Hyundai Tucson. But now, after just this short while, I can say with honesty that I am completely in love with my Fortuner. I can’t now believe that I never considered the Fortuner earlier. I still have a place in my heart for the Tiguan (in particular) but I’ve changed my mind about the Fortuner. I look forward to driving it; on days that I don’t, I am actually disappointed.

So, a brief review, with this limited experience, of what I like and what I don’t, mostly about the Fortuner in general but some initial views on the petrol version. I am sure there are others who are particularly interested because of its rarity. I see a lot more interest in the NCR region, for obvious reasons, so hopefully this will be helpful to those considering this car.

First, fuel consumption and engine power. Yes, power is a bit on the weaker side, but I find it perfectly adequate for my needs, both in the city and the highway. It could have used a few more horses in the hills, but even there I did not really feel that it was holding me back by much. I haven’t driven the diesel version, so I can’t compare with it, but my last car was a 2008 Grand Vitara, and I find not a great difference except that my GV was manual. Sure, the Fortuner P does not like being hustled, especially from a slumber, but once it gets going, it is quite sprightly. But I am generally a sedate driver, so there’s that; I don’t usually get into street racing at traffic lights.

One odd thing, however: I found no great difference between the eco and power mode settings, either in power delivery or in fuel consumption. As for the latter, in the city, in both power and eco modes (I drove 1000 kms in each mode to try), I found the fuel consumption at about 8.1-8.3 kmpl, which I thought was decent. Yes, my GV gave one km more but the Fortuner fuel consumption is a lot better than I expected. On the highway, I got as much as about 10.5 kmpl when I was driving to Ranikhet, but this declined slowly as I hit narrower roads and crowded cities like Rampur, Rudrapur and Haldwani, and even more so once I hit the hills. Eventually, it ended up around 8.2 kmpl when I reached Ranikhet, and this improved only slightly on the return trip to Gurgaon, with a final at slightly over 9 kmpl. This was the same on both trips, driving entirely in power mode. On my next trip, I plan to drive entirely in eco mode and see if it makes any difference. As for power delivery, unless you look at the mode setting, I think it’s impossible to know if you’re driving in power or eco because I couldn’t make out. At best, it’s marginally better in power mode.

Things I like about the Fortuner:

• I do find it quite luxurious and well-put together, though my impression when I test drove it was different. My initial hesitation—before delivery—that I was getting a cheap, over-prized car whose only attraction was reliability was quite wrong, and I am very happy to be proved wrong on this, obviously.
• Love the leather on the side of the front central tunnel. Always wondered why cars didn’t provide some padding there for the knees. This one is perfect, it provides just the needed level of softness for one’s knees.
• The seats positioning is excellent. I was worried about constantly having to adjust the seats without having an auto seat memory function, but I am easily able to find a good position even after I move it for better exit and entry. The seat cushioning, feel etc are also very good, though the cooler temperatures in the NCR means that I haven’t had an opportunity to fully experience the seat ventilation.
• The petrol engine is smooth, with a nice tone to it. I didn’t think this would be an attractive feature, but I really like the sound of this engine, muted but powerful.
• Of course, road presence, height, the full-sized spare wheel (even if in steel rather than alloy) etc. and the feeling of indestructability. As in my GV, I can go for a long drive without thinking about whether I might face some issues while driving in remote areas or in the hills. The peace of mind is unmatchable and very necessary for me, cause I am a natural worrier.

The things I don’t like about the Fortuner:

• I initially found the entry and exit from the driver’s seat to be quite complicated and unwieldy. The space between the ceiling and floor of the doorway seems a bit too small, forcing me to bend down to enter or exit, which is a bit uncomfortable because of my bad back. I have now figured out that I can climb on the footboard and back into the seat, butt first. Not very elegant but it works well now. I never heard this issue mentioned previously, so I wonder what other owners/users think. I am 5 foot 11, by the way.
• The space between the seat and the door is so tight that the door pockets are basically useless. It’s difficult even to use the electric seat adjustments because the seat is so narrow. Poor ergonomics from Toyota.
• The lack of full cover for the wheel wells are telling. I’ve been repeatedly startled by noise of small stones and other road debris clanging against the inside of the wheel well, something I never heard in my Grand Vitara
• The graphics on the HU. Seriously, it’s an afterthought from Toyota. Terrible, even if it doesn’t affect the unit’s functionality. Unforgivable that a 40L car has such a rudimentary system, which is worse than on my wife’s previous gen Urban Cruiser!
• The bottle holder next to the air vents is a great idea but I find it impractical because it hits my knee when I get in and out. Also, the clip to hold up the third row keeps coming off when driving over bumps, which is a nuisance.

Accessories, not much. I didn't do either ceramic coating or anything else, but just taught my cleaner to use a Jopasu brush first and then wipe down with a Proklear spray, which he does thrice a week. Also wanted something to protect the rear bumper when loading luggage. I didn’t like what Toyota provides as an accessory. I wanted a black rubber type deal but couldn’t find anything I liked either in stores or even online. So I decided I would simply buy a cheap yoga mat and keep it in the trunk to spread over the bumper when loading luggage.

I do miss not having a full owner’s manual, but this seems to be a general trend. All in all, I am very happy with my petrol Fortuner so far. Now a couple of photos.

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For the last 2,000KM, mileage was around 13KMPL, majority of refill was with IOC Xtragreen.

BHPian PrideRed recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

30K service update

Car had completed 28500KM/2 years since I purchased and thought of getting serviced bit early as I had time and busy days ahead. Also had pleasant experience at United Toyota Puttur earlier with Innova and decided to give Fortuner for service. Being Sunday, center was operating with limited staff and mine was the only car getting serviced. Other than 30K service had few other work to be done:

• Wheel alignment/Balance. Car was pulling to left slightly.

• Right shock absorber was making slight noise due to lack of lubrication. Have been using lot of pressure wash offlate and running is reserved mostly to weekends.

• Minor rattle on driver door pad. Some wire was rubbing damping sheets.

Had given car at 9AM for service and was delivered at 4PM as promised. Service advisor took two test drives to ensure alignment was done well. The service center did not force any optional value added service which was nice. Despite being new and small center, technician was knowledgeable and was able to address issues.

Total cost came to 11640. Alignment/Balance charge was about 1.6K and GST another 2K. For a car costing upwards of 50L, I think charges are reasonable though not cheap. Air filter was around 2K, may be I could have avoided, but it was neither too dirty nor clean enough to continue for another 10K. Hence asked to replace.

Few other updates:

• For last 2000KM, avg FE was around 13KMPL, majority of refill was with IOC Xtragreen.

• Had an amazing drive with KA21 folks to Thirunelly. Location was fantastic and the drive even better.

• Maintaining 30-32 PSi now and sometimes, especially on 4 lane highways find the ride bit soft. Ofcourse works better on bad roads.

• Had to replace window chrome weather strip, The beading got cut accidentally while wrapping. Part costed 1K.

• I get the Adblue refill warning at 4.5-5K mark. Car takes about 6-7L before overflowing.

• Having full fledged service center at Puttur is a boon. Convenient, quick, slightly cheaper rates and friendly people.

• Tires are holding quite well. Love the Bridgestone, performs well on tarmac and is adequate off-road(not exceptional). Will last easily another 20K If I look after them well.

• Brake pads are 6mm thick and possibly will last another 10-20K KM. For a heavy Body on Frame AT, this is quite good.

• Engine truly is a gem. Refined, torque monster, powerful, reasonably efficient,fun. Don't know if this will score high on reliability(has been so far, touchwood), only time will tell.

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