[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I would rather use the word utilitarian than what you have used. Remember the top spec V variant costs upwards of 17L in some cities. That is clearly not Taxi-ish.

3rd row seat comfort is far greater in the Innova than the Fortuner which is very cramped.

- The sale of the V variant don't even constitute 10% of the Innova sales. More than 50% of the total sales of Innova's sell in the Taxi market which is quite evident on the roads, hence the remark.
- I have sat in the 3rd row of the Innova too and Fortuner's 3rd row is not that cramped thanks to the sliding mechanism on the 2nd row. Now if that will be all the way back then the crampness will be felt in an Innova too.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by dkaile

- The sale of the V variant don't even constitute 10% of the Innova sales. More than 50% Innova's sells in the Taxi market which is quite evident on the roads, hence the remark.

I was not aware of this. Do you have the sales break up of each of these variants from Toyota? Would be interesting to see.

I see majority of private Innovas as V only.

Originally Posted by dkaile

- I have sat in the 3rd row of the Innova too and Fortuner's 3rd row is not that cramped thanks to the sliding mechanism on the 2nd row. Now if that will be all the way back then the crampness will be felt in an Innova too.

Innova 8 seater variant does not have sliding second row seats. They are fixed as far as I remember from the last time I sat in the Innova.

I have sat in the 3rd row of the Innova from Jaipur to Mandawa and back which is 400kms. I was reasonably comfortable. I am 6 foot 1 in height.

I couldn't sit comfortably in a Fortuner 3rd row from my office to house which is 12kms.

[parsh]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I was not aware of this. Do you have the sales break up of each of these variants from Toyota? Would be interesting to see.

I see majority of private Innovas as V only.

Yes it will be good to see the actual sales breakup.

But I find the observation quite contrary to mine. I see majority of private owned Innovas to be GX which falls well within the price bracket of many with the adequate features required, except for ABS, Airbags (except for Innova 2012).

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Innova 8 seater variant does not have sliding second row seats. They are fixed as far as I remember from the last time I sat in the Innova.

That is not correct. Innova 8 seater has sliding 2nd row seats.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by parsh

That is not correct. Innova 8 seater has sliding 2nd row seats.

Hmmm, Is it there only in the G onwards or something? I clearly remember looking for it but not being able to find it.

I am talking of the 60:40 bench. Does it slide?

[parsh]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Hmmm, Is it there only in the G onwards or something? I clearly remember looking for it but not being able to find it.

I am talking of the 60:40 bench. Does it slide?

You are damn right. The base variant E does not have sliding. That is the one you may have experienced. GX onwards, the 8 seater middle row with 60:40 split slides and both parts slide individually. It has been like that since their launch. Earlier it was from G2 onwards they had sliding (the one I have). They have G1 after E which also does not have sliding.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I was not aware of this. Do you have the sales break up of each of these variants from Toyota? Would be interesting to see.

I see majority of private Innovas as V only.

I have sat in the 3rd row of the Innova from Jaipur to Mandawa and back which is 400kms. I was reasonably comfortable. I am 6 foot 1 in height.

I couldn't sit comfortably in a Fortuner 3rd row from my office to house which is 12kms.

These are internal Toyota figures which they don't release officially BUT my close friend is the owner of Grand Toyota here in Meerut. And this figure was quoted by him the other day I was sitting with him. Taxi Market is the main selling point for the 6K monthly sales of the Innova today, according to him.

On the comfort point of the 3rd row, let us agree to disagree. Though Innova 3rd row are slightly more comfortable as I mentioned previously, but Fortuner's 3rd row are not that uncomfortable to the extent mentioned by you. My nearly adult children (both 5'6"+) are more than happy to slip into its 3rd row even on long journeys.

[n:CorE]

My two cents to this thread having owned 2x Innova's spanning 7 years and now a 4x2 MT Fortuner, which we purchased in November 2012.

Innova is the more comfortable car, Hands down. The fortuner does not ride anywhere near as comfortable as the Innova did, that said the ride isn't bone-jarring either. This statement is testified by my father who had 2 Innova's spanning 7 years as a daily drive to work (rear-seat). The ride in the Fortuner is quite bouncy.

We had a dilemma between 4x2 M/T or A/T, since the 4x4 was ruled out after logical reasoning which were as follows:

- The car is primarily dad's locomotive to work and trips to our bungalow in Panchgani.
- No where in the route to anywhere we could foresee this car to travel to required full-on off-road hardware. Bad/no roads just require adequate ground clearance to be tackled well.
- Substantial reduction in fuel efficiency by 1-2kmpl per tank, additional price over the 4x2 variant didn't seem to make any sense where even in the regular course, there is no substantial difference in the drive, ride and handling characteristics of the car. It was a no-brainer.

I'm glad we didn't end up getting the 4-speed A/T with the 5-speed just around the corner. I wouldn't be able to live with the fact that a 5-speed A/T with a power bump up was made available just 2 months after our purchase especially after the same happened with my 2012 Cruze.

I have to agree on dkaile's point on the Innova recently becoming 'Taxi-ish'. Towards the end of the time-frame we had the Innova, I used to really get a fit about Innova's registered in yellow plates driven by drivers who were previously driving a Tavera, or maybe someother sort of car which wasn't as powerful/dynamically accomplished. Had been seeing too many of them lately driven by drivers who thought they owned the road and drove very rashly. I sort of started to develop this certain kind of mental block towards an otherwise brilliant car.

The Fortuner has a stance which is unmatched by any other car in this price bracket, IMO. It gives a sense of 'arriving' at your destination. That 3.0 D4D engine is a gem and this thing feels at home out on the highway for effortless cruising.

About the 3rd row, The Fortuner in fact has a tad bit more legroom, but as mentioned earlier the height of the thing and the ride play spoilsport.

[wanderhermit]

My friend is taking delivery of Fortuner AT 5-speed tomorrow. The car is already at the dealership. and I have checked. If anybody wants, I can post the pics tomorrow. He did not take it home today since it was Saturday.

We are a group of offroaders and have compared Innova and Fortuner back to back. And our common conclusionis that:
1. Innova has better ride than Fortuner. It is so much comfortable. And this is accentuated in hill driving.
2. Innova's ride comfort is equivalent to many high end cars.
3. It is similar to my Honda CRV
4. Innova has taxi image. No doubts. And you are flagged down by police a lot more than Fortuner. In fact, Fortuner is rarely stopped for routine checks. May be this is only in my area (Panjab, Haryana) where most of the politicians and bureaucrats have Fortuner.
5. Fortuner has bouncy ride. And has cramped last row. Innova is much better 3rd row.

Conclusion:
If you can afford Fortuner, go for it. You get all the options. Specially 4X4 MT version. It is best value for money SUV in India . Especially if you love travelling and driving. Mechanical lever actuated 4X4 with 4-low option is something to die for. We have no option but to go for Thar instead. (In fact this is a huge gap which no other manufacturer is noticing. Only '4X4 AT' model in Fortuner line-up is missing. I have not driven the new 4X2 AT version yet. So can not comment whether is is a good purchase. All I can say is that it is not tip-tronic.

I agree with the above view, that 4X2 MT is much better than 4X2 AT (4 speed) . It is a no brainer. 4 speed AT gearbox was total junk.

We have member with recently purchased Pajero Sport. Initial review is that it is a lot smaller than Fortuner. And not worth the price you pay for it when compared to Fortuner. Only good thing that Pajero has is "super Select'. You can put it in 4X2 mode and get nice drifts. And even better donuts. Thats something not possible in 4X4 Tfort.

Electronic 4X4 shifters in Safari, Getaway, Scorpio, Xenon, also torque on demand in XUV500 are basically toys to attract and fool customers. They are totally undependable. And they give way when you need them most. I would advise that one should stick to 4X2 versions of the above mentioned cars.

[Dieselite]

Wanderhermit please post pics and your comparative observations between the outgoing 4 speed AT and this new 5 speed AT. If specs are available that would be awesome !

I had checked with a very reliable TOYOTA source and he had confirmed the 5 speed AT but refused to disclose anything more.

Cheers.

[m-hawk]

Hey wander hermit please post pics and drive experience of the 5speed A/T as there is no upgrade at Toyota website it yet shows 4 speed 2wd A/T as an option for the Fortuner. I think it will be first of its kind here at Team- Bhp . Do post pics and creature comfort option s here . I am sure your friend must have also considered the Chevrolet captiva A/T also as an option , please put his thoughts and other considered A/T diesel SUV' s . It will really make things easy for many considering buying the A/T SUVs . Thanking you in anticipation .

[Dieselite]

Visited the showroom and saw the new 4X2 AT in flesh in the new Pearl White colour (metallic white basically). Car looks nice in this new shade. The 5 speed AT is evident only by the lever slot positions being labelled as D , D-4 , D-3 and L-2 . Nothing else seems to have changed.

Dealership refused to confirm any engine upgrades except for the gearbox saying that the launch is on 17th and all details will be available only once officially released.

So lets all wait till 17th and hope that the engine gets additional power !

[alabjarus]

Originally Posted by wanderhermit

My friend is taking delivery of Fortuner AT 5-speed tomorrow.

Wow....this is news...! Didn't know a 5-Speed AT of Fortuner is in the anvil. Any body has more details like launch date, comparo etc.

[StarScream]

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Introduces Fortuner with a 5-speed Automatic Transmission

• Popular Fortuner TRD Sportivo Limited Edition now available as a regular grade
• All New Pearl White Mica colour available in all grades


January 16, 2013, New Delhi: Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) today introduced the Fortuner, with a 5 speed Automatic Transmission. The new transmission provides enhanced drive feel and comfort. Looking at the overwhelming demand and popularity of the Fortuner TRD Sportivo, the Limited Edition has now been introduced as a regular grade.
The Toyota Fortuner, the segment leader, was launched on August 24, 2009 and since then has sold more than 41,000 units.

Fortuner TRD Sportivo
Fortuner TRD Sportivo is aerodynamically designed by TRD. The Fortuner TRD Sportivo is for all those SUV enthusiasts looking out for a sporty look.
The Fortuner TRD Sportivo comes with the following features - Aerodynamically designed front bumper spoiler, aerodynamically designed rear roof spoiler, stylishly designed TRD Sportivo emblem and rear bumper spoiler. The Fortuner TRD Sportivo is available in three dual tone colours - Super White + Grey, Silver + Grey and White Pearl Mica + Grey.
Pearl White Mica, a new premium colour has been introduced across all grades.

Commenting on the new introduction Mr. Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Marketing and Commercial said “Further adding to Fortuner’s strength of unmatched road presence and luxury, we have now introduced the 5 speed automatic transmission. The 4x2 automatic transmission is extremely popular, it has been highly appreciated by the customers. The 5 speed AT will further add to the drive quality and comfort. We introduced the Fortuner TRD Sportivo as a limited edition in October last year. Looking at the overwhelming response and its popularity, we have now regularized this grade for all those looking for a unique sporty image. The bookings will open starting 18thJan 2013.
We thank all our customers for their response because of which Fortuner continues to be an undisputed leader ever since its launch in 2009 in India.”

Existing Line Up New Line Up
4x2 MT 4x2 MT
4x2 AT ( 4 speed) *4x2 AT (now with 5 speed)
4x4 MT 4x4 MT
4 x 2 MT TRD Sportivo
(only as limited edition ) *4 x 2 MT TRD Sportivo
(now introduced as a regular grade )
4 x 2 AT (4 speed)
TRD Sportivo
(only as limited edition ) *4 x 2 AT TRD Sportivo
(now introduced as a regular grade with 5 speed AT)

*New Introductions
The new introductions are priced at
4x2 AT (with 5 speed) - Rs 22,33,000/- (ex showroom Delhi)
4x2 AT TRD Sportivo (with 5 speed) - Rs 22,93,000/- (ex showroom Delhi)
4x2 MT TRD Sportivo - Rs 21,96,668/- (ex showroom Delhi)

[Dieselite]

Thats great news. Hopefully they have also tuned up the engine somewhat and drawn out as much power as the Thailand spec Fortuner.

Does the TRD Sportivo kit make much sense at that much of a premium? Maybe while selling the car after 5 years ? I doubt , but it makes the front look so much better. The rear not so much in my opinion.

Looks like Toyota have one new customer lining up for the 5 speed AT. ME !!

cheers

[wanderhermit]

This new 4X2 AT 5 speed is a real gem of a car.

This feels best of the lot. Amazing pick-up and response. The engine power has been increase to 171.

The SUV feels much better than same engined Prado 5 speed. They do not share the same transmission. Already does not feel the same. Tfort is more quicker.

The gearbox shifts into 5th gear at 80km/hr. at around 2000 rpm. Since the car is very new we did not push it beyond 165 kmph. And it goes there very fast. I think it can do 180 or 190 just like the manual 4x4 version. Will wait a few days to see that.

Since this is 4x2, the bonnet lifts considerably when you put peddle to the mettle.

Delhi driving suddenly got so much easier.