Toyota Fortuner : Official Review

[karan561]

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

Guys
Heard that Toyota is going to launch the 360 degree view system as an official accessory.

(One camera each will be installed to the bottom of ORVMs and one to the front.
The system will collate images from 4 cameras and will be displayed on the OEM screen)
Will try and get an image for reference

Any information/update on the same?

Its true, but i have been hearing this since November 2016, dont know why so much of delay.

[AAD]

Thanks everyone for clarifying about the lack of rear differential lock in the old fortuner

I believe the version sold in South Africa does have it as standard fitment.

Anyway this can be fitted here provided one is able to import it here?

[ecosport rules]

Originally Posted by AAD

Thanks everyone for clarifying about the lack of rear differential lock in the old fortuner

I believe the version sold in South Africa does have it as standard fitment.

Anyway this can be fitted here provided one is able to import it here?

Please contact ARB dealers in your area,they are the experts in reterofit differential locks

[DwarkaDelhiWala]

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

......Did you drive a while on the stock tyres too.? How is the comfort HT vs AT on tarmac?

I did drive with HT for about 20 Km before changeover to AT. On Delhi tarred road (not concrete) i found no difference in ride quality. Both were super.

[ecosport rules]

These are the two models of Focal I was taking about.

IS 165 TOY for the front door(separate tweeter/components)
IC 165 TOY for the rear door(co axial/in built tweeter)

Direct socket to socket speaker replacement
They also provided a bracket to fit in the tweeter.

Compatible with most of the Toyota models including the Fortuner and Innova

Company claims an enhancement of 50 percent over stock speakers
Any feedback on this would be highly appreciated .

Thanks

[Sankar]

I had Focal's VW Coaxial plug & play speaker set in my Polo and run by RCD510 HU. Like the TOY kit for Toyota, VW kit fits a variety of VAG models. Both of them are similar spec wise. The SQ was better than VW OE speakers but for me a set of Boston Acoustics SC65 coaxial speakers in my old Swift powered by Swift OE HU sounded better.

I have a set of Boston Acousitcs SC65 in my Crysta (a repeat purchase after having them in my Swift) installed with Toyota specific 3 hole adaptor so that no extra holes need to be drilled. Toyota specific wire couplers are also available so that original company coupler need not be cut off to install speaker.

So if you want to upgrade (just) the speaker buy the universal Toyota speaker adaptor and the harness coupler and you can install pretty much any speaker you want without damaging the vehicle.

[AAD]

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

Please contact ARB dealers in your area,they are the experts in reterofit differential locks

Thanks Ecosport for the tip. Will certainly dig around for more information. But I guess such mods will void the manufacturers warranty

[ecosport rules]

Originally Posted by Sankar

I had Focal's VW Coaxial plug & playThe SQ was better than VW OE speakers but for me a set of Boston Acoustics SC65 coaxial speakers in my old Swift powered by Swift OE HU sounded better.

I have a set of Boston Acousitcs SC65 in my Crysta (a repeat purchase after having them in my Swift) installed with Toyota specific 3 hole adaptor so that no extra holes need to be drilled. Toyota specific wire couplers are also available so that original company coupler need not be cut off to install speaker.

So if you want to upgrade (just) the speaker buy the universal Toyota speaker adaptor and the harness coupler and you can install pretty much any speaker you want without damaging the vehicle.

Thanks for the useful information

Have few more queries about Boston acoustics SC 65:

*Was it a speaker upgrade only?
*Is the bass better with Boston than the stock?(asking this because I heard many audiophiles saying that the bass flatens{in comparision to stock}if we upgrade the speakers without an amplifier)
*Is the treble also better vs the stock speaker?
*where did you sourse the toyota connectors from?(any link)
*source /link for the 3 hole adapter ?
*Any pictures after /during installation would be super helpful?
*Did you rivet the new speakers or screw them in ?

Focal upgrade in your VW
*You mentioned SQ better?(both bass and treble)?

[ecosport rules]

Saw these rain visors today.
Outstanding quality,much better than the genuine Toyota accessory .
No undulations whatsoever from any angle.
Attaching a picture for your reference.
The set was made in Taiwan

Cost: INR 4800
Location:Motominds ,Madhapur.Hyderabad

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

Have few more queries about Boston acoustics SC 65:

*Was it a speaker upgrade only?
*Is the bass better with Boston than the stock?(asking this because I heard many audiophiles saying that the bass flatens{in comparision to stock}if we upgrade the speakers without an amplifier)
*Is the treble also better vs the stock speaker?
*where did you sourse the toyota connectors from?(any link)
*source /link for the 3 hole adapter ?
*Any pictures after /during installation would be super helpful?
*Did you rivet the new speakers or screw them in ?

Focal upgrade in your VW
*You mentioned SQ better?(both bass and treble)?

1. Yes only speaker upgrade in both Polo and Crysta.
2. Bass with Boston SC65 is better than stock and Focal.
3. Highs are smoother with Boston compared to Focals, and yes both are better than OE speaker.
4. Amazon.com. However in my case it arrived late and thus i went ahead without using it.
5. I bought mine from Faridabad based http://innovativesolutionsinc.in/ these are made of MDF. They are also on facebook. Plastic ones are available at Amazon.com. MDF ones are more solid.
6. I didnt take detailed pics as it was a DIY and my hands were full. Few pics i have posted in the Crysta thread.

https://youtu.be/LS8jU2nkLNY

7. Bolted the adaptor to the door and screwed the speaker to the adaptor.
In VW riveted the speaker to the door using a handheld riveter that too was a DIY.

8. Focal upgrade in VW bass was not that good compared to stock at same volume levels. The reason why i didnt do Focal upgrade again.

[599gto]

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

These are the two models of Focal I was taking about.

IS 165 TOY for the front door(separate tweeter/components)
IC 165 TOY for the rear door(co axial/in built tweeter)

Direct socket to socket speaker replacement
They also provided a bracket to fit in the tweeter.

Compatible with most of the Toyota models including the Fortuner and Innova

Company claims an enhancement of 50 percent over stock speakers
Any feedback on this would be highly appreciated .

Thanks

This is basically a stock replacement speaker, so don't expect too much of an improvement, just about 10-15% over stock speakers.

Also focal is not a SPL (Sound Pressure Level) brand, so do not expect too much bass out of these, it is more tuned for SQ (Sound Quality), so rest assured they will be nice and clear, balanced kind of sound, a little sharp at times though.

In fact no speaker upgrade will feel like an upgrade unless you replace the stock Head Unit. Focal, Morel, Hertz, Audison, Helix, HAT, absolutely nothing will work as an upgrade. I would avoid Boston at all costs, would pick up consumer grade JBLs over them anyday.

If you really want an ICE upgrade in the Fortuner, I suggest you look at head unit replacements from Alpine, they sell a few variants specifically designed for the current gen Fortuner and adds a whole lot of additional features including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Not readily available in India but can be sourced from south east asian countries.

http://www.alpine-asia.com/AlpineSty...-FORTUNER-2015

This HU can be paired with any good set of components for the front stage and a set of co-axials for the rear, and you are good to go for most ears.
My choice for all round performance speakers would be Focal, Morel, Rainbow, Audison.

PS: if you are looking at any kind of genuine bass, you need an amplifier powering your front stage and a subwoofer , any set of speakers will not be able to recreate lower frequencies like a subwoofer would do, because they are not designed to do that.

[ecosport rules]

Originally Posted by 599gto

This is basically a stock replacement speaker, so don't expect too much of an improvement, just about 10-15% over stock speakers.

Also focal is not a SPL (Sound Pressure Level) brand, so do not expect too much bass out of these, it is more tuned for SQ (Sound Quality), so rest assured they will be nice

In fact no speaker upgrade will feel like an upgrade unless you replace the stock Head Unit. Focal, Morel, Hertz, Audison, Helix, HAT, absolutely nothing will work as an upgrade. I would avoid Boston at all costs, would pick up consumer grade JBLs over them anyday.

If you really want an ICE upgrade in the Fortuner, I suggest you look at head unit replacements from Alpine,

http://www.alpine-asia.com/AlpineSty...-FORTUNER-2015


PS: if you are looking at any kind of genuine bass, you need an amplifier powering your front stage and a subwoofer , any set of speakers will not be able to recreate lower frequencies like a subwoofer would do, because they are not designed to do that.

Superb explanation 599 GTO

So Focal speaker upgrade is out of the equation

I am overall ok with the stock system/speaker set up.

What I miss
* is a little more bass/tighter punch( looking for a plug and play option.)
*to mirror my phone's google map to the screen(as you know all stock maps are pathetic and nothing can compare to google maps)

What are the other sound pressure level brands?
Is there any way(reterofit option) I can mirror my phone's screen to the stock Head unit?

Is an active subwoofer placed under the seat,s good option?
Saw one in Focal (I bus 20 and I bus 2.1)with a 2.5 inch height which fits perfectly below the driver seat
(Also can it be a socket to socket fitment with an adapter?)

Will the change in head unit , hamper warranty ?(skeptical right now,have to check with Toyota
Also the stock system provides turn by turn display on the instrument cluster's MID-dont want to lose this useful function

Thanks again for all your inputs

[599gto]

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

Superb explanation 599 GTO

So Focal speaker upgrade is out of the equation

I am overall ok with the stock system/speaker set up.

What I miss
* is a little more bass/tighter punch( looking for a plug and play option.)
*to mirror my phone's google map to the screen(as you know all stock maps are pathetic and nothing can compare to google maps)

It is 599gto and not 599 GTO, mods wont like it that way sir!

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

What are the other sound pressure level brands?
Is there any way(reterofit option) I can mirror my phone's screen to the stock Head unit?

My preferred SPL brands would be Ground Zero and Digital Designs. I own a few GZ products and can vouch for their build and the way they perform is meant to be experienced. No first hand experience with DD (pun intended ) but they are quite popular and very well made.
AFAIK There is no way you can use app mirroring on your stock HU.

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

Is an active subwoofer placed under the seat,s good option?
Saw one in Focal (I bus 20 and I bus 2.1)with a 2.5 inch height which fits perfectly below the driver seat
(Also can it be a socket to socket fitment with an adapter?)

Yes under seat subs are good for people not keen on ground breaking bass, but their value for money proposition is questionable.

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

Will the change in head unit , hamper warranty ?(skeptical right now,have to check with Toyota
Also the stock system provides turn by turn display on the instrument cluster's MID-dont want to lose this useful function

Thanks again for all your inputs

My guess is that the Alpine HU made for the Fortuner would be a direct replacement, no warranty issues to worry about and no features going missing, Alpine is big name in the world of car entertainment, I am sure they've thought it all out in the R&D phase.

Now lets hypothetically say I own a Fortuner and I am a self proclaimed ICE nut(not entirely hypothetical), the following is what I would want in my Fortuner:-

HU:- Alpine X008EU
Front Stage:- Focal K2 Power ES 165 KX3
Rear Fill:- Focal K2 Power EC 165 K
Amplifier 1:- Audison Voce Quattro
Amplifier 2:- Audison Voce Uno
Subwoofer:- Morel Ultimo 12

This is just my fantasy going over board but I think the Fortuner apart from being good at a lot of things, is also a great car to ICE!

PS: Forget ICE, if I had enough means to buy a Fortuner, the first thing I would do is upgrade the suspension, OME BP51 being the suspension system of my choice (a direct fit kit for the current gen Toyota Fortuner is yet to be launched by ARB), and add a rear locking differential to make it more of a pure off-roader, electronic gimmickry doesn't really cut it for me!

[ecosport rules]

https://youtu.be/7XNB3KpWHWg

The above link is for the New Fortuner which was recently launched in Cambodia.

*Surprised to note that it has a bonnet scoop and the previous generation's D4D 3.0 litre engine.(left over stock from all around the world?)

*Rear wheels get drum brakes

*Equipped with a rear differential lock

Rest of the vehicle is same as that of India

[varunsangal]

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

*Surprised to note that it has a bonnet scoop and the previous generation's D4D 3.0 litre engine.(left over stock from all around the world?)

Bonnet scoop because of the older engine and older engine possibly because it was allowed/met the local emission norms.

Usually companies tend to sell the minimum viable product that meets the country's laws and norms. Had BS4 not kicked in, Toyota might have continued to sell the older engine in India as well.