[swunkjyn]

Its a lot cheaper here in Himachal -



Having said this, the older prices of RTO were just 3% and I could lot of people registering their cars in Himachal especially card above the 50 Lakhs bracket. I have always advocated for a single RTO price, if that is possible because RTO costs are different and I could see a lot of PY registered card in Bengaluru. PY registered cars were usually S class or 7 Series that I saw.

[Axe77]

Off topic to the 50L breach, I saw both the Legender and the regular Fortuner side by side the other day (a friend booked one recently) and I personally thought the regular 4x4 A/T not only looked better but is also much better value (by “value” I mean that relatively between the two variants, keep aside the overall overpricing of the model per se).

I actually prefer the head on front look of the regular Fortuner than the overstyled Legender. Other than the LED lights, I couldn’t see what tangible benefits the Legender provides for the price delta of perhaps 4L (maybe even more). The seat upholstery seems the same and while the two tone looks nice the all black interior of the regular Fortuner looks nice too. Add to that the fact that you have a much wider range of color choice with the regular Fortuner - I believe the Legender can only be had in white.

[SnS_12]

Maybe Toyota doesn’t improve the ride quality or don’t even try as they think that it won’t help in increasing the sales number further??

For sure a lot of customers would have complained about the ride quality but they don’t seem to be taking this customer feedback seriously yet. The first generation suffered from poor braking which was rectified later on with the midterm update.

Right now Toyota is able to command such a high price for their Innova and Fortuner is because of the badge value that they bring on the table and have no competition in that segment which any other brand currently in India can’t replicate at least in this segment. TATA’s & Mahindra still have a long way to go..

And finally the maintenance cost which I understand is also really low despite the high initial buying cost.

[Bibendum90949]

It is so interesting to see how the Fortuner prices have moved up since it's launch. I just googled and found this article.

https://www.financialexpress.com/aut...crazy/1582003/

The Fortuner was introduced with a price tag of Rs 18 lakh in Aug 2009 with an aim to capture 50% share of the SUV market in India.

In 2019, Prices for the new Fortuner stood at Rs 27.8 lakh and max out at Rs 33.6 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The launch price was 18 lakhs. At 54 lakhs OTR now, prices have tripled in fact, inflation notwithstanding. The matter of fact is that it's not quite worth the money, arguably. The glaring and worrisome miss is the GNCAP safety rating for Indian Fortuners. When one is shelling out 50 big ones, that's the least expectation.

Toyota India indeed is making a big fortune with this car, thanks to Indian car buyer's penchant for big butch SUV's. Ride quality and safety be damned !

[roadrunner_nv]

Oh Toyota! You’ve done it again. With the exit of the Endeavor, it is but natural for Toyota to price this flagship at such a price. No natural predators. Škoda is in the dumps, Citroen killed themselves with their pricing, Isuzu has nothing, Mahindra Alturas is history, Gloster suffering variable perception and, no other competition. While Toyota is going to milk Indian cows, our own Babus and regional Govt. hasn’t done anything else.

I was looking at the road tax and forgive my ignorance, the tax varies with the cost of the car. While this always existed, it is now that this difference is biting as manufacturers have a large difference between the base and top end models. If the road tax is about my vehicle occupying the road and space, causing wear and tear and, causing some effect on the infra, it should be calculated on the basis of its dimensions, weight, propulsion unit etc. Calculating it as x% of the Ex-Showroom price is pure loot. After all, tolled roads categorise vehicles on the basis of their type and axles, they don’t ask the price of the vehicle.
I may be wrong in the above assumption but that’s a debate for a separate thread.

[MaddyCrew]

This is insane!!

Them clowns at Toyota are milking many an unsuspecting Indian. Rip-off, daylight robbery - take your pick. However, I would not blame them - lack of competition, the huge demand for any tin can on stilts and relatively high disposable incomes mean they can get away with anything.

Just for comparison sake - in Sydney, the fully loaded AWD AT (Crusade) is available at an on the road price (a.k.a. drive away price in Aussie speak) at around INR 37,02,024.51. This is when all Toyotas we get here, are fully imported and the taxes here are pretty high.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by roadrunner_nv

If the road tax is about my vehicle occupying the road and space, causing wear and tear and, causing some effect on the infra, it should be calculated on the basis of its dimensions, weight, propulsion unit etc.
.

On a lighter note, I think there should be reverse charge by the consumer to the government for the wear and tear that public infra causes to our vehicle.

[Sheel]

I am not talking about the 4X2, but for a certain use case, with around 100 / 200 kilometers per day and around 25 to 30K annual running for some one in who does not know on what surface of road would one be driving, there are not many options. Similarly for someone who likes to drive and holiday in off-beat places where roads are non existent, you need plenty of GC, 4X4 hardware and supreme reliability.

Mall crawlers with ambient lightning won't feel cozy in case you damage your oil sump some 700 kilometers away from nearest ASC at 2 AM.

I hate the fact that it just does not have any competition, Ford Endeavour gave it tough competition and rightly so. While Ford is not coming back, I do not see anyone else coming in to ruffle its feathers, earlier Fortuner had it tough, with Pajero / Pajero Sports / Trailblazer (in 4X2 avatar & whatever it sold) / Endeavour (3.0, 3.2), MU-X / Rexton.

The current Fortuner has its direct rivals in form of Alturas and Gloster, which it has finished with the morning cup of tea. Mahindra's uncertainty with Ssangyong (link) and Gloster's 4WD prowess is not in the league of the Toyota.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

MG Gloster Cons :

• Engine and gearbox tuning are shockingly terrible inside town. Turbo lag and the gearbox's reluctance to downshift make things awful in city traffic
• Massive size can be a handicap in urban India. Quite cumbersome in tight areas
• While the interior looks premium, you know it is not as well-built as a Toyota or Ford
• Top-end Savvy variant is optimistically priced at par with the well-established Fortuner & Endeavour
• Savvy variant doesn't get the 3-seater bench option for the middle row. Captain seats = 2 occupants
• 4,000 rpm redline is too early. Engine has a very narrow powerband
• Urban fuel economy is mediocre due to the power & fat kerb weight
• Twin-turbo diesel, 8-speed AT & gizmos bring a lot of complexity. Long-term reliability is unknown (unlike the Fortuner & Endeavour)

The long term reliability is still unknown for Gloster, though there are not enough user reviews to conclude that but, I would trust the Alturas more than the Gloster in reliability quotient.

Lots of manufacturers with their presence in India have competent products, but, they chicken out, maybe because of tax structure, maybe because of hassles and surely because of the immense presence (in form of sales / product) the Fortuner is. I just wish, we get the new MU-X, a global Mitsubishi, a Nissan, its too boring to go anywhere & spot so many white Fortuners everywhere .

[Sanidhya mukund]

For this kind of money, a Fortuner may not be worth it, but the question is, what else can you buy? For someone looking for an SUV in the 40-60 lakh rupee range, the choices are limited to the Toyota Fortuner, MG Gloster and Isuzu MUX. Of these, Isuzu has nearly zero after sales support and MG Gloster is yet to prove itself over lakhs of kilo-meters. Ford Endeavour is out of the market.

The only other options are BMW X1, Merc GLA, Audi Q2 and Volvo XC40, none of which are abuse friendly and are unsuitable for bad roads. This monopoly is the only reason why people are still lapping up Fortuners. For most people, it really is the only option in this budget. If my memory serves me right, this was the kind of money Toyota would ask for a Land Cruiser Prado about 8-9 years ago!

[TorqueMonster]

Indians see cars as a representation of image, and this is exactly what the Fortuner cashes in on. Indians love big brute SUV's. Add it to the fact that the Fortuner is associated with the rich and powerful makes it an automatic buy for any person, just for the image associated with the vehicle. It's the same way a segment below has the Scorpio fulfilling the same conditions. The Fortuner is a brand in itself now, and people at this are ready to give up on ride quality or features just to be a part of such a well-established brand name.

The Endeavour was successful because it did everything that the Fortuner was looking for, and now, even such a competent car has to go. I just wish that a brand replaces this one car monopoly that Fortuner has in its segment.

[kratswat]

As ludicrous as the pricing for this Fortuner is, we must not forget the added effects of the govt run extortion racket that is the Karnataka RTO. Highest road taxes in the country (iirc) and yet perhaps the crappiest roads. Hell, even my hometown in Uttarakhand has better roads.

[Jhinchak]

With the departure of the Ford Endeavour, Toyota is going to take advantage of this situation. Market leader turning Monopoly. But crossing the 50 lakh mark, Many might jump ship to luxury German brands for few extra bucks.

[padmrajravi]

Originally Posted by Jhinchak

With the departure of the Ford Endeavour, Toyota is going to take advantage of this situation. Market leader turning Monopoly. But crossing the 50 lakh mark, Many might jump ship to luxury German brands for few extra bucks.

I think even now, almost everyone who is checking out Fortuner has the German entry-level sedans on their radar. They still choose Fortuner only because those compact SUVs and sedans can never do what Fortuner can.

At least in my part of the country, a Fortuner carries almost the same brand image and respect as the entry-level germans. So in those parts, only the ones who are hell-bent on having the refinement or driving pleasure of the germans go for them. The ones who just need to show they have arrived and do not care about the driving pleasure choose the Fortuner. And the 500 NM Fortuner is no more a bad car to drive now even for people who want fast cars.

[neel@makrand]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

It is reliable and powerful. But it is cramped. It is bumpy. It is uncomfortable. And at these prices, pretty much a cruel joke.

A decent speed breaker and Fortuner lets the occupants enjoy "heads on roof" - "shoulder rubs" and other such phenomenon

One of the most overrated vehicle with cramped leg room, ugly bench height and hard to drive in city traffic.

I'd rate XUV5OO better than this box.

[Jhinchak]

Originally Posted by padmrajravi

I think even now, almost everyone who is checking out Fortuner has the German entry-level sedans on their radar. They still choose Fortuner only because those compact SUVs and sedans can never do what Fortuner can.

At least in my part of the country, a Fortuner carries almost the same brand image and respect as the entry-level germans. So in those parts, only the ones who are hell-bent on having the refinement or driving pleasure of the germans go for them. The ones who just need to show they have arrived and do not care about the driving pleasure choose the Fortuner. And the 500 NM Fortuner is no more a bad car to drive now even for people who want fast cars.

Yes, totally agree with you. But If the fortuner has no competition, toyota will lose the motivation for any bold upgrades in their next facelifts. I fear it will become another VW Polo with just few changes in seat cover or few sticker jobs.