[GTO]

Great review of a mighty successful SUV! Yes, it is overpriced IMHO, yet I've never ever met a Fortuner owner who regretted his purchase . These things are built to last, have the space, a fantastic engine, reliability, excellent after-sales and imposing presence. I know many people who are still driving their 2009-10 Fortuners & 2005-06 Innovas. Can't say the same for same year Endeavours & Taveras. If you keep the car for long, the upfront premium more than pays for itself.

Although I enjoyed my drive in the Fortuner Legender because of the amazing 2.8L motor, the bumpy ride & heavy steering are deal-breakers for me. The ride, especially. I don't like bumpy cars (unless they are sporty).

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

Pros:

• Contemporary styling
• Features such as Quad-LED headlamps, powered tailgate, wireless smartphone charging, ventilated seats & more
• 7 airbags, ESP, TC, hill assist
• great resale value as well
• low service costs & up to 7 years of extended warranty

I've driven the 2016-2020 Fortuner and can say it is a much improved product; few observations:

1. Way ahead of the 2011-16 Fortuner on features
2. Great brakes at last
3. Great resale - decent 2017 Fortuners aren't available for less than 26L anywhere
4. Service might be cheap but some parts are really pricey eg.windscreen

Originally Posted by ChiragM

Cons

• gotten even more expensive! Top variants cost 45-lakhs OTR
• Firm & bumpy ride quality. Bad roads in the city are prominently felt inside
• Missing sunroof, lumbar adjustment, auto-wipers, TPMS, adaptive parking guidelines etc.
• cost cutting

Observations again:

1. High floor pan makes for not-so comfy seating in the second and third rows
2. Bumpy ride and body roll persists - can't be helped
3. Styling, although contemporary is nowhere near the macho looks of the 2012-16 cars. Plus, the alloy design is getting too car like
4. Front dash is not deep at all, like the Scorpio. This might get boring after a while
5. Flattish center console, in my view, should have been designed better
6. The OTR costing, although high is well within striking distance for the target group eg. companies, politicos, and some individuals. For those middle class folks yearning to own one like this, the gap to target has only gotten wider

[slamnos]

Originally Posted by Technic90

Honestly, I doubt how much of a competition Toyota believes Endeavour is to Fortuner looking at the way they hiked the prices this year. If you look at the sales chart Fortuner has been leading significantly sometimes by around 3-4 times sales over Endeavour and when sales gap was reduced it was mostly because of either

1. Fortuner showing it's age
2. Reducing production due to BS4 to BS6 transition
3. Strike at plant
4. Upcoming facelift launch
5. Good deals on Endeavour (not so common nor a big factor I believe)

Even Endeavour 3.2 (being a superior engine) couldn't dent Fortuner image, so I doubt a Bi-Turbo will make much of a diferrence because that will further reduce the cost gap making Endeavour less value for money in comparison to Fortuner.

Historically, competitors have not been able to dent Fortuner's brand much.

Not because competition isn't stiff, its simply because Fortuner customers swear by it. Be it reliability, trust of T Badge and the ease of ownership to name a few. It has carved a sub-segment of its own.

There is a car for every kind of buyer, be it Endeavour, Kodiaq, Tiguan All Space. But for an unnerving ownership experience Fortuner has stood the test of time for more than 10 years now. Most other brands have either been discontinued or been reintroduced.

So it surely shows what customers value in this segment.

[amol4184]

Every passing generation these butch SUVs are becoming more and more slick.

Am I the only one who likes first generation Endeavor and Fortuner better than current models?

[sramanat]

Thanks for the review. But I wonder if it makes more sense to review it from the perspective of "being driven". That seems to be the majority use of this car :-)

[330i]

Hate to say this, but this is basically a copy paste review from the pre-facelift Fortuner, especially the performance/ride and handling section. I was expecting a more detailed review since the fortuner has received some major updates like
1. More power(already mentioned in the review) But how is
it to drive compared to the pre-facelift(especially the
manual version)
2. Slightly softer suspension(according to owners)
3. Differential lock and auto limited slip differential
4. Better tuned gearbox for the AT(Not sure)
5. Power steering with variable flow control

But will be expecting a more detailed review later.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by 330i

Hate to say this, but this is basically a copy paste review from the pre-facelift Fortuner, especially the performance/ride and handling section.

Me & Aditya had driven the pre-facelift Fortuner on the highway, and we found almost no difference in road manners compared to the pre-facelift. The Legender drives almost identical, save for the enhanced power which has given the 2021 car more muscle.

Hence, and rightly so, the engine + suspension posts are almost a cut-copy-paste. If the observations are almost identical, we will continue the same for future cars too. There is no point in reinventing the wheel. If there is something new to say, we will add it to the post.

[Technic90]

Originally Posted by GTO

Me & Aditya had driven the pre-facelift Fortuner on the highway, and we found almost no difference in road manners compared to the pre-facelift. The Legender drives almost identical, save for the enhanced power which has given the 2021 car more muscle.

Did you guys get the chance to try out 4x4 of the facelift because as it is 120 kgs heavier than the 4x2? Here are my observations after driving around 1000 kms,

1. You might find the ECO mode more dull in 4x4 due to the weight especially with the initial pull but once on the move, it is pretty good.

2. I agree that the facelift is more or less similar to the previous one except the added punch which I felt in NORMAL and SPORTS mode but not so much in ECO mode.

3. Power steering with VFC has somewhat given artificial feel to the steering. I think the pre-facelift's classic hydraulic one was overall better. Both steering's are pretty heavy in parking speeds.

4. Insulation and engine refinement has improved but it's not night and day difference. Engine still makes lots of noise.

5. AT gearbox tuning is much better now with the added power and torque.

6. Not much changes in suspension, it's stiff and let's you know every part of the road

7. I find chamois interior more premium and posh compared to the black one. Makes the cabin feel more airy. I checked both the interiors side by side during the delivery of the vehicle.

8. The black shades look much better and aggressive on the facelift one but I preferred Pearl White more on the pre-facelift. I did buy Pearl White in the end because it has more premium feel especially the metallic touch to it which you can clearly notice in sunlight. I think the extra money on Pearl White is worth it.

9. I haven't done any offroading but I am confident Fortuner will excel at this.

10. Sometimes I feel a jerk when going from R to D. But it's not always and I find this in Innova Crysta too. Anyone else experienced this?

10. I can hear a very mild whistle clearly on acceleration when no music is being played. I hope it's the turbo one. Not sure if pre-facelift had this. Can someone confirm this on their facelift vehicle?

I moved from sedan to Fortuner so still getting used to the truck like feeling. Will share more experiences with time.

[GTO]

These details have been confirmed with Toyota.

1. Service interval of 10,000 km / 1 Year (was 5000 km when the model was originally launched).

2. GVW figures:

2610 kg - Fortuner Diesel 2WD
2735 kg - Fortuner Diesel 4WD

2510 kg - Fortuner Petrol 2WD

2610 kg - Fortuner Legender 2WD

Originally Posted by Technic90

Did you guys get the chance to try out 4x4 of the facelift because as it is 120 kgs heavier than the 4x2? Here are my observations after driving around 1000 kms

No man, we just drove the Legender as that was the only media car available in Bombay.

Regardless, even if we had driven the Fortuner Facelift, the mechanical differences are too minor to notice, unless one does a back-to-back comparison. We last tested the Fortuner in 2016 and have driven 100 - 150 cars since! These small changes will be noticed only by owners.

[330i]

Originally Posted by GTO

If there is something new to say, we will add it to the post.

Sorry then. My bad. So it is almost identical to the pre-facelift. Appreciate the efforts you took to make this review

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by GTO

These details have been confirmed with Toyota.

2. Kerb weights:

2610 kg - Fortuner Diesel 2WD
2735 kg - Fortuner Diesel 4WD
2510 kg - Fortuner Petrol 2WD
2610 kg - Fortuner Legender 2WD

In all probability, these are GVW figures and not Kerb Weight. The pre-facelift Fortuner 4wd had a kerb weight of ~2200 kg. I am sure it cannot go up by ~500 kilos for the facelift unless they installed lead plates somewhere

[Hserah]

I definitely agree that this is one of the best selling SUV in India and Asian markets. But some glaring omissions or cons for a car that costs almost half a crore are
1. Very cheap plastics at some places, like at bottom of center console, buttons.
2. No noise dampening cladding under the wheel arches.
3. Cheap looking leather (after market options are much better and cheaper)
4. Toyota has this car for years now but they never bothered to make the ride comfortable enough for the bucks paid.

I also have some cons like missing sunroof, etc that other cars of same price and/or segment provide and the list can go on. This car is not a Value for Money anymore in my humble opinion!

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by Hserah

This car is not a Value for Money anymore in my humble opinion!

With all due respect to the capable machine that it is, the Fortuner has never been a VFM proposition barring its very first version! With every iteration of the Fortuner, Toyota has pushed the envelope further in skimping on stuff that should be a given at corresponding price point. And mind you, all of these iterations have come with significant price hikes.

• First generation - was a solid mechanical workhorse with an excellent full-time 4wd system but had glaring issues like missing rear disc brakes, missing side/curtain airbags, awful ride, etc.
• Second generation - finally came with discs all around and more airbags BUT center diff was gone and a capable SUV was reduced to part time 4wd. I was shocked when I learnt about this change.
• Second generation facelift - more powerful engine, improved steering, etc. BUT the interiors still take you back by a decade! Loads of cost cutting evident everywhere - underbody protection, wheel cladding, interior plastics, those speakers glued to the dashboard, etc. When in the market for a full-size SUV, I simply could not convince myself to accept those interiors after dishing out 40 big ones!

That being said, for those who prioritize engine performance and/or brand image over everything else, this is an obvious (and right) choice.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

[*]Second generation facelift - more powerful engine, improved steering, etc. BUT the interiors still take you back by a decade! Loads of cost cutting evident everywhere - underbody protection, wheel cladding, interior plastics, those speakers glued to the dashboard, etc. When in the market for a full-size SUV, I simply could not convince myself to accept those interiors after dishing out 40 big ones!

After owning for both cars together for 2+ months I can say this isn't true. Only area area where Endeavour feels lot more premium is the roof. Sunroof and premium liner makes a big difference. But everywhere else its the same, be it the fit/finish and material quality. Design is more of a preference and some may not like dashboard design of Fortuner against conventional design of Endeavour.
The lighter color in Endeavour may look nicer to some, but then there are good chunk of people who love all black interiors too. Take a look at below comparison pics, I don't see huge difference.

Center console


Door pads(Fortuner's is shiny because of polish)


Glove box and knee area(Endeavour gets hard touch plastic here)


Endeavours seat are 5 years old but dont see big difference in quality other than color


Steering/Instrument console


An area where again Endeavour falls short


Dashboard top section which is better in Endeavour

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

Toyota Fortuner Cons:

• The already-expensive Fortuner has gotten even more expensive! Top variants cost 45-lakhs OTR

• Firm & bumpy ride quality. Bad roads in the city are prominently felt inside

• Missing sunroof, lumbar adjustment, auto-wipers, TPMS, adaptive parking guidelines etc.
• 6-speaker sound system is terrible for a 40-lakh rupee car!
• Cost-cutting evident in a couple of areas; some interior plastics, ICE audio quality, camera display…

• No longer a full-time 4x4 like the 1st-gen car. Also, 4x4 carries a Rs. 3 lakh OTR premium

suckling hard at the twin teats of "market image" and "blind trust" that the T badge enjoys amongst indians. One day, the milk will dry & there will be blood