Toyota Fortuner
What you'll like:
• Contemporary styling & imposing street presence
• Tough build. Toyota body-on-frame UVs are known to have very long lives
• Powerful diesel and smooth petrol, with user-selectable driving modes too
• Interiors are much improved. Cabin is practical & user-friendly
• Loaded with features like Bi-beam LED headlamps, powered tailgate, paddle shifters & more
• Impressive offroad capability (
by big SUV standards)
• Top-notch safety kit. 7 airbags, ABS, ESP, TC, hill assist, ISOFIX & 3-point seatbelts for all
• Toyota's excellent after-sales quality, fuss-free ownership experiences, low service costs & up to 7 years of extended warranty coverage
What you won't:
• Pricey! More expensive than the better-equipped & equally-competitive Ford Endeavour
• Missing sunroof, auto-dimming IRVM, lumbar adjustment, front parking sensors, auto-wipers etc.
• Ride quality –
although improved – is still far from plush. You’ll feel the bumps
• Cost-cutting in a couple of areas; some interior plastics, ICE audio quality, camera display…
• Diesel’s short service interval of merely 5,000 km! Inconvenient for those with high usage
• Petrol variant is a guzzler. We saw merely 6 – 7 kmpl on the AT
• No longer a full-time 4x4. Also, 4x4 carries a Rs. 2.5 lakh premium on the MT (
3 lakhs on the road)
• No cheaper / smaller diesel variant like the Endeavour 2.2 & ol’ Fortuner 2.5 for the mass market
Link to Official Review Ford Endeavour
What you'll like:
• A big all-rounded SUV with no real deal breaker. Fantastic pricing as well
• Macho styling packs appeal. Solid build quality matches the butch presence
• Cabin is a nice place to be in. Likeable design, comfy seats & lots of storage
• Competent range of diesel engines. The 3.2L, especially, is very impressive
• Great balance between ride & handling for a body-on-frame SUV. Sweet steering too
• Offroad ready - Terrain Management System, rear diff lock, 225 mm GC & 800 mm of water wading
• 5 star safety: all wheel disc brakes, ESP & TC, 7 airbags, roll stability control, hill launch assist etc.
• Loaded to the gill with features! Panoramic sunroof, 8" touchscreen ICE + 10 speakers, parallel park assist, powered tailgate, xenon headlamps, triple-zone climate control & more
What you won't:
• Fortuner's cabin is roomier, offering more headroom & space at the back
• Missing essentials such as steering reach adjustment, satellite navigation, passive keyless entry & go, tumbling middle row seat & third row seat recline
• 2.2L engine feels lethargic over 120 kph. Not a fast highway express
• Mediocre fuel economy due to the fat 2,200+ kilo weight, AT & big diesel (3.2L)
• Ingress is difficult for the elderly / short folk. 3rd row access is terrible!
• Waiting periods are already a couple of months long
• No manual gearbox with the 3.2L. Fortuner 2.8L is available with an MT
Link to Official Review Chevrolet Trailblazer
What you'll like:
• Big size & presence matched to a solid build
• Spacious interiors with ample room in the 1st & 2nd seat rows
• Fast 2.8L turbo-diesel with 500 Nm of torque! Smooth 6-speed AT too
• Class-leading 241 mm of ground clearance & 800 mm of water wading capability
• Urban ride quality is more compliant than the Toyota Fortuner
• Equipment such as electric seat (driver), touchscreen audio, reversing camera & 18" rims
• Safety kit includes all-round disc brakes, ESP, TC, CBC, Hill Start Assist & more
What you won't:
• No 4x4 available! All direct competitors offer 4x4 / AWD
• Missing equipment (steering reach adjustment, navigation, sunroof, auto-dimming IRVM etc.)
• Unsettled high speed ride, especially at the rear
• Lazy AT gearbox is slow to respond to kickdown / downshift commands
• Only two airbags in such an expensive car
• Available in a single variant that's more expensive than the Fortuner 4x2 AT
• Mediocre fuel economy due to the 2000+ kilo weight, AT & powerful diesel
Link to Official Review Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Ownership reviews by:
•
anshuman_v
•
Imran Ahmad Ali
•
satpalsharma Hyundai Santa Fe
What you'll like:
• Substantial size and presence. Great styling too
• Powerful & refined 194 BHP diesel engine
• Absorbent ride comfort matched to safe & predictable dynamics
• Fresh, high-quality interiors with comfortable seats
• Expansive feature list (xenon headlamps, selectable steering modes, dual-zone climate control etc.)
• 5-star safety rating. Equipment includes 6 airbags, ABS & EBD, ESP & TCS, hill start assist and more
• Hyundai's reliability and fuss-free ownership experience
What you won't:
• Premium pricing strategy. Noticeably more expensive than the Fortuner, Pajero Sport and others
• 3rd row of seats is severely short of headroom. Not a true 7 seater like some of its competitors
• Doesn't have the offroad capability of the
body-on-frame alternatives
• No manual transmission with the AWD. The MT variant also loses a lot of safety equipment
• Soft suspension can result in a bouncy rear end at high speeds + undulating roads
• A sunroof,
front parking sensors & auto-dimming IRVM are sorely missed
• Vague steering feel & unenthusiastic AT gearbox take away from the driving experience
Link to Official Review