Toyota Fortuner : Official Review

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Official Review Section. Thanks for sharing, Aditya!

Brilliant review, rating it a full 5 stars . This is perhaps the first official review on Team-BHP that took up the ENTIRE opening page (all 15 posts)!

I never liked the new Fortuner's styling from the pictures; however, I will admit that the SUV looks handsome in person. Has a killer street presence. That it has much improved over the old truck, there is no doubt. The interiors are better, as is the ride quality, equipment & safety kit. That said:

• If I were looking for an AT, my pick is still the outstanding Endeavour 3.2. I prefer its more classic styling, the cabin is nicer than the Fortuner's, the Ford’s 3.2L is sweeeet (sounds amazing too), its steering is easier in the city and the equipment list runs longer (panoramic sunroof, punchier ICE etc.). In terms of offroadability too, the Endeavour is strong and will do everything the Fortuner can. The Fortuner might be more reliable in the longer term, yet the Endeavour is quite durable too. Not like it's a troublesome European SUV.

• On the other hand, if I were buying an MT, I'd pick the Fortuner. But that's only because Ford sells the Endeavour MT with the smaller 2.2L engine.

In the premium segment, you can't be stuck on an MT (unfortunately) as your options will be too limited. All things considered, if I had 35 lakhs in my pocket for an SUV, the Endeavour 3.2 AT it is. A terrific all-rounder...and one without any deal-breaker. Ford hit the bull’s eye.

The Fortuner is good. The Endeavour is excellent.

[karan561]

Finally the Official Fortuner Review is up & boy it is one MEGA REVIEW

Special thanks to GTO, Aditya & team for giving me the opportunity & letting me contribute

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by Aditya

ECU placed way behind (on the top RHS), safe from the elements. Almost all wires in this engine bay are properly clad / insulated:

ECU sits inside the cabin behind the glovebox. The component you see in the picture is the injector driver, not ECU.

[vishy76]

Wonderful review as expected of team bhp. Karan sir''s inputs were an icng on the cake along with the beautiful video review of his own beast.

I must admit I used to despise the old Fortuner for it's dated interiors and sparse feature list but this one has upped the game.
I wouldn't have expected Toyota to price the car lower, looking at the innova.

However, if there is one company which has a tough job selling two D segment cars, it has to be Toyota. Most of the Fortuner owners that I know (including a friend who just took delivery of his car) have only bought it for the 4x4 badging and looks(The Innova's van like looks have been a bit of a turn off).

The Fortuner is also down one cylinder on the Endeavour 3.2 but costlier. The only advantage it has over the Endy is the 2.8 mated to a manual gearbox and a trusted brand along with good reliability. The endeavour also offers a variety of variants and engine+gearbox options.

The Innova is otherwise a more accomplished 7 seater and it also gets the 2.8 litre engine along with the autobox.

If I were given a choice between the two, I would pick the Innova for hauling people and the Fortuner 4x4 A/T or manual for off-roading. Somehow, the 4x2 doesn't make sense with the Innova sitting up there.

Regards,
Vishy76

[Turbanator]

Great Review, will be a Gold Standard for others, don't think anyone else can come closer. Small but relevant details are clearly mentioned with photos and explanations.

Official response from Toyota is "184 mm measurement is as per the new ARAI measurement standards - LADEN mass at GVW (gross vehicle weight)"

Can we check on any unladen one for records? and If ARAI has made it standard why other manufacturers have not changed their data?

Earlier, the Fortuner had a full-time 4x4 system, which means the vehicle required a central differential with limited slip. Otherwise, it couldn't be driven on the tarmac. The central differential could be locked for offroad requirements. The new Fortuner's part-time 4x4 system is more like a traditional Jeep's. Now, it has 2WD for tarmac usage and 4WD is strictly for slippery conditions. This configuration doesn't need a central differential. The front and rear differentials are always open, like before.

So is this setup similar to something we have on ISUZU - V Cross? Will it be fair to say that in case we use H4 on regular roads, we can damage components or vehicle can behave differently say on U-Turns like one reported here?

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post4132298

[RAHS]

Wow! This official review has reached different standards altogether. Would be real difficult to beat. I have been waiting for this review since the launch of New Fortuner. This came in as Republic day gift. Much needed for the long weekend Kudos to the entire team for putting in great effort in compiling this review. So battle is ON between Fortuner & Endeavour. It's high time for Mitsubishi to launch New generation Pajero Sports ( I guess it's due sometime in 2017? ) New Fortuner v/s New Endeavor v/s New Pajero Sports. Game is ON

[tp_dominator]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Power window console has a piano black finish. All 4 windows get auto up & down. Buttons are illuminated too. Notice the recessed area on the driver’s button only. You do get electrically-foldable mirrors, but they don't auto-fold when you lock / unlock the car. I'm shocked that Toyota could miss a feature as important & as simple to activate!!

I beg to differ here. This functionality might have been missed out on purpose. I have a Grand i10 with the exact same feature and its pretty annoying that the car cleaning guy is not able to clean the area between the ORVMs and the door and also the ORVMs themeselves since they stay closed while the car is locked. I believe same might have been Toyota's conception that not every Fortuner owner is going to clean their car themselves and hence its upto the owners to leave the ORVMs closed or open. Just my two cents!

[Deepu Sharma]

Took an extensive drive of both the endeavour 3.2 and the fortuner and finally decided on the endeavour 3.2. The fortuner simply does not seem value to me for a price they have put it up at. The endy on the other hand feels a class above with high levels of refinement and a cabin that you would love to be in. So enjoying my drives now in the Endy 3.2 at trend.

[Sankar]

Unlike the previous gen Fortuner this time Toyota has serious competition from Ford with its Endeavour. As a vehicle the Endeavour is more attractive (larger engine, wattslink rear suspension, a bit larger, sunroof etc) and much more value for money compared to Fortuner. Only advantage Fortuner has over Endeavour in our market is Toyota's strong presence, support and perceived reliability. If Ford can match the last two its a win for the Endeavour.

The new Crysta Z though not a direct competition offer an alternative option to Fortuner buyers who doesn't need 4x4 capability. This time both are more or less evenly matched in the engine & drive-train department and as well as interior luxury and safety; unlike the previous generation Toyotas.

[karuvally]

Thankyou for the wonderful review. After reading about the car, I am having sort of mixed emotions about the product finish at the price range they are offering. It would be wonderful, if Toyota could provide us with a bare bones SUV for heavy duty use (LC 70 perhaps) at more approachable price and manufacture the Fortuner as a light duty vehicle, with very plush upholstery and top notch materials that the owners can use instead of luxury sedans. Right now, they are trying to manufacture a car that would appeal to enthusiast off-roaders and business people in their mid 50s wanting an imposing vehicle. Not cool.

[ach1lles]

Okay. You guys need to start publishing these, like on real paper with ink and fonts and stuff. In a book. This is getting ridiculous. The internet doesn't deserve this "free" master collection. Haha. Well done guys.

I sat in the new Fortuner for a brief couple of minutes. It was night time so everything appeared super rich and luxurious, but take it all in and get a feel, the cabin doesn't *feel* as rich as it looks.

Also, this one has much better on road presence in white compared to the last one which isn't obvious from the pictures. Infact, when I saw the pictures and saw this new Fortuner in black in Thailand a year ago, I didn't think much of it. I felt that Toyota might've overcorrected the straight up Fortuner of old and made it too in your face. Nope. This looks great in person. Also, the rear lights look wicked, probably the best external feature of the Fortuner.

[sgmuser]

One of detailed Toyota Fortuner review on the net! Kudos to the team. Thanks a lot for the time and effort put into this work.

Originally Posted by GTO

[b]
• If I were looking for an AT, my pick is still the outstanding Endeavour 3.2. I prefer its more classic styling, the cabin is nicer than the Fortuner's, the Ford’s 3.2L is sweeeet (sounds amazing too), its steering is easier in the city and the equipment list runs longer (panoramic sunroof, punchier ICE etc.). In terms of offroadability too, the Endeavour is strong and will do everything the Fortuner can. The Fortuner might be more reliable in the longer term, yet the Endeavour is quite durable too. Not like it's a troublesome European SUV.

• On the other hand, if I were buying an MT, I'd pick the Fortuner. But that's only because Ford sells the Endeavour MT with the smaller 2.2L engine.

In the premium segment, you can't be stuck on an MT (unfortunately) as your options will be too limited. All things considered, if I had 35 lakhs in my pocket for an SUV, the Endeavour 3.2 AT it is. A terrific all-rounder...and one without any deal-breaker. Ford hit the bull’s eye.

In these Reviews in tbhp, I usually look for that GTO tag for his vivid and precise notes! Here especially for those who are split between this and Endeavour, GTO sums it up nicely. Bulls eye! But only issue I have is that the FE of 3.2 with AT/4x4/big CC which hangs around 6-7kmpl in city and one or two kmpl more in highways according to the owner reviews/feedback.

But if someone looks at the bottom end of these two models, it is still a challenge which one to go for.

Endeavour 4x2 AT or (4x4 MT) - 29 lakhs OTR (depending upon the state)
Fortuner 4x2 MT - 33.65 lakhs OTR

This 4.5 lakhs difference gives 6 air bags, keyless entry, Toyota badge, reliability (perceived?), resale value and a bigger 2.8 liter engine among other things. Now Fortuner looks like a better deal in the long term. Endeavour is a killer deal for those who looked at Innova Crysta or Tucson (few lakhs more from Crysta even less if it is Tucson for true blooded SUV with 7 seater)

As per the reviews Endeavour ride quality seems to be better than Fortuner.

[desertfox]

Aditya - Congratulations. Its an extremely well written review. Brilliant auto journalism. Best I have ever seen. You have arrived!

Haven't finished the last 10 % of it, taking a break to see the T 20 match now but I will come back with my inputs and some suggestions to take your reviews to an even higher level.

Well done once again.
With best wishes,
Shahid

[avinash_clt]

Excellent review. Quite possibly the most in-depth review of the vehicle anywhere on the web, globally.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

So is this setup similar to something we have on ISUZU - V Cross? Will it be fair to say that in case we use H4 on regular roads, we can damage components or vehicle can behave differently say on U-Turns like one reported here?

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post4132298

Yes the basic hardware is similiar to that in the V-Cross / Storme / Scorpio etc, i.e front axle powered through a transfer case, without a center differential. However the toyota has superior electronics than the V-Cross, which aids it better off-road than other part-time 4wd units. Damage due to transmission wind up and difficulty with U-turns on hard tarmac (with 4H locked) should be similar.

Interestingly the newer version of Pajero Sports (globally) still retains full-time 4wd capability as its predecessor.

[Nair.V8]

Splendid review by Aditya! Very comprehensive and informative.

The new Fortuner is a worthy successor to the 1st gen model. And even despite the cost cutting and few missing features, there's no stopping the new Fortuner from dominating its segment.

The Endeavour might be a great product, but Fords A.S.S. just cant match Toyota. To make matters worse, Ford has just hiked the price of the Endeavour by over 2.5 lakhs.

In overseas markets, the new Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Sport is being applauded for being the best all rounder in this category. Cant wait for a showdown between these three Titans on Indian soil!!