[BIBIN004]

A little history:
Eversince the launch of Toyota Fortuner in India back in 2009, I was completely bowled over. Never missed any articles or videos relating to the same & had been a constant follower till time. Had planned to buy the vehicle back in 2012,but then the price hike, tax hike etc. royally screwed my dreams. Finally after lots of planning,I was able to get it in Feb 2013 ,before the next budget [could have screwed my dream again.]

Courtesies:
Thanks to "Team-BHP", the ultimate reference & the bhpian's [GTO,Guderian, Manuuj, dkaile, kedarwalke, ahmed, nilanjanray] for their valuable posts which helped me take a decision even without an extensive test drive itself.

Alternatives:
None,to be frank since I never looked at anything else. My heart knew what I wanted & my mind just signed it off .However took some time to convince my home. I've always wanted the 4x4 manual, with low range option, and at this price nothing else fit the bill. The legendary built quality of Toyota, the go anywhere capability, there was nothing more I could ask for!

On road price:
Total Price :- 27,09,955
Ex-Showroom :- 22,70,288
Insurance :- 84,772 [Toyota Protect]
Road Tax :- 3,40,900 [15% of On Road]
Fancy Number :- 3,000
Accessories :- 7,495
Handling Charges :- 3,500
Offers :- None, Got 10 litres of diesel & a box of cadbury as compliment.

Engine & Performance:
My beast is Super White with a 4x4 manual transmission. It's a little noisy on the outside but once you are in, things are in perfect harmony. Took some time for me to get over the beast since I had been driving cars like Zen, i10 etc till time. The engine is pretty responsive and has got good amount of torque. Driving in higher gears, or accelerating for over taking is a breeze. The tremendous torque spread helps the cause. Moving the beast off from stand still using just the clutch was something new to me. This may not be the most refined engine around, but it sure can get the SUV moving when needed. It feels unstressed even at high speeds, and this could be because of the 3lt engine churning out 168BHP, while the engine can actually be tuned for much more. As the run is completed and more miles pile on, the engine should settle down a bit and become smoother.

Comfort & Features:
Auto Headlamps with HID
Reverse Camera
VSC [only in 4x4]
Good touch screen DVD player [Dolby Digital]
Rear AC Control
Dual Airbags
Rich Hard Beige Leather
Steering Mounted Controls
Multi Information Display

Gearshifts :
The gearshift is pretty smooth and responsive, however the throws are pretty long and would take time to get used if you have been driving small vehicles earlier. The clutch is not as heavy as I thought it would be. It does have a tendency to bite, and has not been very smooth in transition at times, but I guess its more about me getting used to it, than anything else. 4x4 High-Lock and Low-Lock have not been tried yet. Looking forward to an opportunity to test it and feel the difference.

Fuel Efficiency
City 10-10.5 kmpl
Highway 11-12 kmpl
For a beast of this size and weight, it is a pretty decent mileage. With the large 80lt tank, I can easily do 800km drives without refilling. If driven on the highway at speeds around 100kmph, the mileage displayed on the MID is infact more.

Suspension & ride quality:
When the vehicle was delivered, the tyre pressure was around 40 psi & I could feel the vehicle bouncing over bad roads. Once the pressure was set back to 30 psi, the bounciness was reduced but is still evident at certain times, probably due to a stiffer suspension. However the ride quality is pretty good. This vehicle is made for broken roads and smothers most of imperfections on the road. On our drive to Bangalore from Kerala, road sections which were under construction did not require us to slow down a lot. In fact slowing down adds to the bouncy nature of the vehicle, and if passed through at a decent pace, around 40-50kmph, its much smoother, than going down to say a 10-20kmph. All of this has been under light load conditions. With load going or full occupancy, the ride quality should be even better.

Exterior Styling & Design
The USP of the vehicle is it’s looks which closely resembles it’s bigger brother ’Land Cruiser’. The meaty 17 inch alloys & wide tyres adds to the look and gives a proper presence among the crowd. The head lights with projector add to the glam quotient. Night driving is a breeze thanks to the good spread. I have added a muffler cutter when taking delivery. Added the auto close kit for the mirrors when the key is taken out. These are the only extra fittings I have on the beast. It doesnt look like it will need anything more!!

Interior Styling & Design
The design of the centre console, which mimicks that of the Innova, does not look impressive. This might be the only dampner in the whole deal. The leather seats are more of utilitarian type than plushy but adds to the ruggedness of the vehicle. The wood finish on top of the steering wheel is a nice touch. Dashboard and switch gear are made of good plastic, and feels good to use. The intermediate setting of the wiper is another boon, though a little confusing to use! Everything has a built to last feel to it, which again is a trademark of Toyota.

Overall build quality and fit & finish
The overall build quality is impressive and leaves a built to last impression on anyone. The piano wood trims on the centre console & steering wheel especially gives the beast a premium look in whole.

Like-s
The imposing road presence is simply amazing. I simply loved it. The attention it gets on the road, and from people around is something to be seen & experienced.
6000K HID Headlights
Ample Space inside.
Decent Ground clearance.
Toyota brand reliability.
The 17 in multi-spoke alloys

Dislike-s
No Start/Stop button.
An underpowered horn for such a big vehicle.
No rear disc brake

Accessories
Roots Megasonic
Auto folding Mirrors
Rubber Floor mat
Vanity SunVisor
Muffler Cutter

Drive Experience
The drive in has been a pleasant experience till time & overtaking on the highways has been a breeze. The brake quality is awesome contrary to what I have been hearing about the vehicle & does its duty loyally. It has proper bite and does not feel underpowered. The drive in the city has made me more vigilant about the surroundings due to the fear of the side mirrors being touched by the bike riders on the road. People do give way, thanks to the presence. Ride has settled down once the tyre pressure was brought down to 30psi. The beast is currently in Bangalore and was driven from Kerala to Bangalore by my close friend & bhp-ian [unni.ak]. For a vehicle of this size, it handles pretty well. We did take a few flowing curves on the way to Bangalore at speed and the vehicle kept its line. This could also be due to the all wheel drive system. It does not feel bouncy over dips and crests on the highway when taken at speed. The 4*4 bit is yet to be experienced. More drives are coming up, and I should be able to get into better details.

Service Experience
Total Km's covered till time :- 1200
First Service :- Done at Nandi Toyota, Bomanahalli
Total cost :- Rs 58/-

The service was pretty good & fast. The only bit which I disliked was the fact that they replaced the original dealer sticker on the rear windscreen of the vehicle with theirs without even asking me.

Overall Rating
On a scale of 5, I would give a 4 to the vehicle, considering the above mentioned factors.

Speak of the Snaps
Enough of theory & lecture , allowing the pictures speak.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[nkrishnap]

Congrats on getting the Fortuner home. The white color is the favorite among the ones available for Fortuner.

Enjoy many more happy miles with the Fortuner.

[swami.n]

Many Congrats on getting your Fortuner. Happy miles ahead. It is one of the few cars which is intimidating to see in the rear view mirror.

OT: The wheels on the i10 looks great.

[Lukeskywalker]

Congratulations Bibin, the vehicle looks awesome in white, have a wonderful ownership of the Fortuner.

[funkmeister]

Congrats man! So, KL- 31 is which RTO? I am from KL-37, so somewhere nearby perhaps?

[unni.ak]

The Fortuner was long coming!! I had the opportunity to drive this Fortuner from Alleppey to Bangalore. When I saw the Fortuner up close in my driveway it reminded me of the 'Tata 407'!! The pure bulk of the vehicle, up close and in white, is mind blowing. It did take some time to get used to the size of the vehicle on road, especially since the drive to Bangalore was at night.

As you climb into the vehicle and get yourself comfortable, the first thing that hits you is how much the interiors look like the Innova. This has been discussed to death on this forum, across multiple threads. But that doesnt necessarily imply something bad. Innova interiors have held up over time, and so will the Fortuner's. Everything feels well put together. The drivers seat is the place to be in. Loved the electrical adjust, and the leather. Everything feels right in place and intuitive once you are perched on. Start the engine, and it settles down into the typical diesel clatter. It does sound loud on the outside, but sound insulation is pretty good and the noise is not intrusive in the cabin. I loved the steering wheel with the wood insert on top. Initially it felt a bit out of place, and gave me visions of sweaty hands slipping on the wheel!! After a while though, I loved the feel and almost always kept my hands there. No sweaty palms!

The engine is a gem. It doesnt protest if you are in a higher gear than what is called for, and over takings are done off with disdain. The gear lever though with long vague throws and vibrations are not ideal. Since the vehicle was new, and had barely done 400kms when we started the drive, speeds were kept around 100kmph and varying. If you treat the vehicle like an SUV, it handles well. There is not much bobbing around on highways and tracks well around corners. On the drive to Bangalore, we did throw the vehicle into a few corners and it steered predictably. The ride though, is not the best around in this range. It could be more to do with the lineage of the vehicle. I guess its the same character of the suspension that would make the vehicle a good performer off road. I am yet to drive it after the tire pressure was brought down to 30psi, and hope the vehicle has become less bouncy now. It does well on slightly broken roads, and especially when taken at speed. Slowing down leads to the vehicle bobbing around, and unsettling passengers.

I do most of my long drives at night, and the headlights on the Fortuner are to die for. I loved the projector set up, the beam and the spread. This coupled with the high seating position makes for a perfect night cruiser.

Looking forward to much more driving and travel!

[BIBIN004]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Congrats on getting the Fortuner home. The white color is the favorite among the ones available for Fortuner.

Enjoy many more happy miles with the Fortuner.

Thanks a lot mate. It's actually the first white one in our family.

Originally Posted by swami.n

Many Congrats on getting your Fortuner. Happy miles ahead. It is one of the few cars which is intimidating to see in the rear view mirror.

Thanks for the compliments, Sure it is

OT: The wheels on the i10 looks great.

Took quite a bit to find those pair of shoes. It's PLATI.

Originally Posted by Lukeskywalker

Congratulations Bibin, the vehicle looks awesome in white, have a wonderful ownership of the Fortuner.

Thanks Sir. White looks pretty good on the beast.

Originally Posted by funkmeister

Congrats man! So, KL- 31 is which RTO? I am from KL-37, so somewhere nearby perhaps?

KL-31 is MAVELIKKARA [ALAPPUZHA DIST.]

[Honda2k]

Congratulations, Bibin ! Wow ! Every time I see the beast - on road, or in a snap, thats the exclamation that I give out - Wow !! Its sheer presence is intimidating, and for sure, you cant help but marvel at it ! Awesome choice, very happy for you, hope its gives you a lot to cheer about - your love affair with this beauty of a beast has just begun !

[devil_klm]

Congrats for being fortunate to have a fortuner. I had a visit to Toyo showroon to see for tuner. Amazed by the space and comfort inside. Fortuner is a vehicle which a has a commanding driving postiion good road presence and you will get respect from autowalas in KA

[swiftnfurious]

Congrats on the beast! Do you plan to park it in the open space?? That would be cruelty man! Please do add some more interior pics.

Wish you miles of happy & safe motoring!

[9thsphinx]

Congratulations on your new beast, as you love calling it! Ofcourse it's nothing less in appearance

I had an opportunity to ride in the backseat of a friend's Fortuner some time back and the only problem that I could find with it was there was too much lateral movement. Also, the ride was pretty bumpy. Now, I haven't had much experience with riding in more SUV's but this could very well be an inherent trait of this particular class of vehicle.

In your experience so far, how do you compare the ride quality of your smaller cars (i10 and the likes) to that of the Fortuner, specially for people sitting in the back?

[BIBIN004]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Congrats on the beast! Do you plan to park it in the open space?? That would be cruelty man! Please do add some more interior pics.

Wish you miles of happy & safe motoring!

Thanks,. At the moment I'm left with few choices, but I have given it a good blanket and is well within my vicinity. You would see more snaps coming soon.

Originally Posted by 9thsphinx

Congratulations on your new beast, as you love calling it! Ofcourse it's nothing less in appearance

I had an opportunity to ride in the backseat of a friend's Fortuner some time back and the only problem that I could find with it was there was too much lateral movement. Also, the ride was pretty bumpy. Now, I haven't had much experience with riding in more SUV's but this could very well be an inherent trait of this particular class of vehicle.

In your experience so far, how do you compare the ride quality of your smaller cars (i10 and the likes) to that of the Fortuner, specially for people sitting in the back?

Thanks.The ride is a little bouncy at slower speeds probably due to a stiffer suspension. Have heard about people using Bilstein suspension, not sure how much does it improve the ride quality. To be frank, I have never been at the rear seat ever since I got it. .Will try it out some time and let you know my views.

[nilanjanray]

Congratulations and welcome to the family! Hope you use it the way it is meant to be used - will look forward to the escapades.

Yes, the Fortuner is a great night cruiser- I can imagine how good the new HID projectors would be for night driving given that I have done many night drives - with 70% vlt sun film on the windscreen - in my 'classic' Fortuner.

[BIBIN004]

As promised, here goes the next set of clicks. "A picture speaks a thousand words."