Fortuner, the flagship model of Japanese auto major Toyota which is sold in over 110 countries across the globe is back to garner more market share in the Indian auto market. Launched in 2009, the first generation Toyota Fortuner has been the leader in its segment with a 70% share. Till date, the company has sold 97,000 units in India. Will the second-generation Fortuner carry forward the brand legacy as the undisputed SUV (sports utility vehicle) segment leader, and keep the customers delighted, as it has done for the last seven years? Let’s find out!
First Look
The Toyota engineering team headed by Hiroki Nakajima — Fortuner Executive Chief Engineer and Managing Officer — has put in a lot of efforts to bring in enough change in the design department as the car looks sleeker than before. The 2016 Toyota Fortuner is built on the highly-modular Toyota New Generation Architecture (TNGA) platform.
The new SUV comes with dual projector headlamps, LED (light emitting diode) daytime running lights, bolder chrome grille, and the refreshed front bumper includes chrome accented fog lamps. The high shoulder-line, large wheel arches, and 12-spoke alloy wheels (17- and 18-inch) all add value to the SUV.
On the rear, the new Fortuner gets an electric tailgate, roof-mounted spoiler, LED tail lamps and large bumper with chrome bar that is positioned between the tail lamps.
Replica of Innova Crysta?
The moment I sat inside, I remembered India’s most-loved MPV (multi-purpose vehicle), the new Innova Crysta. For a moment, I felt it is a replica of the Crysta, however with soft-touch materials, metallic accents and wood-grained patterned ornamentation and leather seats, with give a different look compared with the Crysta.
Touch and feel (cushioning) is also good. The 2016 Toyota Fortuner receives a large touchscreen infotainment system display, which sits in the centre of the dash.
There is a side-step to afford easy ingress and egress. The owners will find themselves very comfortable in the middle-seat which has enough legroom and headroom with good thigh support. Interestingly, you can easily slide back the seats.
Moreover, the low window gives you a good look of the outside. Getting into third row is easy, with one flick, one can tumble the middle-seat forward. However, the third is strictly for kids. You can recline the seat if you want space. The luggage space is ample. From outside, you can fold the rear-seats by just pulling a lever which is pretty easy.
Let’s drive
At God’s Own Country, Kerala’s port city Kochi, I was assigned the petrol variant on a cloudy morning. Yes, surprisingly, the new Toyota Fortuner is the only SUV in its league to offer a 2.7-litre petrol engine with 5-MT/6-AT option to buyers. It churns out 166 bhp and 245 Nm of Torque. The petrol variant is only available with a 2WD. A Toyota study reveals that customers really never need a 4WD. In fact, 95% of them were fine with 2WD.
Why a petrol variant for an SUV like Fortuner. Owing to knee-jerk reaction by the Supreme Court — a petrol variant is launched, said an official at the beginning of the event.
The company said, when at its peak sales, Fortuner did about 16,000 units a year, and the company is expecting to do more, since a petrol variant has also been introduced for the first time.
The company expects the petrol option to have good demand in Delhi NCR and Kerala. It will account for about 5-10% of total sales. With the 6-speed AT (automatic transmission), it is an easy task to drive gigantic SUV. The drive from Kochi to Vagamon Stretch is over 100 km. The ease at which we reached was very impressive. I was surprised to see the narrow roads, they call as state highways. However, with frequent breaking, I need not have to put much effort, as there was no constant gear shifts required, thanks to the AT.
Believe it or not, the petrol engine is noiseless, and customers will like the quite cabin. It comes to life when you actually push it harder. I am sure you will like the roaring sound.
At the ghat section, with frequent corners, all four disc-brakes with Antilock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), and Brake Assist (BA), come into play. With slight touch, the SUV would stop immediately.
The SUV measures 4,795 mm in length, 1,855 mm in width, and 1,835 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,745 mm. It comes with a ground clearance of 275 mm, which is sufficient enough to tackle Indian road conditions.
Powered diesel version
It comes with a new 2.8-litre diesel engine with an all-new six-speed automatic transmission (AT) with sequential and paddle shifters. The diesel motor gets the option of both 2WD and 4WD. The other variant 6-speed manual transmission (iMT) produces 177 bhp with 450 Nm Torque.
What is six-speed intelligent manual transmission (iMT). When the driver changes the gear in a MT vehicle, based on the vehicle speed, the engine may be running at a speed (rpm) which is not ideal for the next gear. This can cause some jerks. iMT helps in adjusting the engine speed (rpm) to match according to the gear selected, and hence, avoids the jerks. The manual variant is incredibly responsive with no turbolag.
Sigma 4
While returning from MMJ Tea Estate, Vagamon, we missed the route. It was a single lane on the hill route. With great difficulty, somehow we could manage reverse the car. The moment we returned a few kilometers, we faced a big hurdle. We could see another vehicle approaching us, which came and stopped in front, facing us. Initially, we thought we could reverse and move on, allowing both vehicles to pass. On a hilly incline, it is not easy to reverse at once, because of curvy roads and deep stretches.
With a brave heart and risk, we decided to reverse. The big question was, how can we succeed in such a narrow road and risk mounting? This is where Sigma 4 technology comes into play a role in any terrain. This is the name given for the 4-wheel drive (4WD). Sigma 4 (H4, L4, DAC, A-TRC).
Active Traction Control (A-TRC): Active Traction brakes the wheel without traction and sends power to wheels with traction. By this, it produces the same effect as LSD (Limited Slip Differential). DAC (Downhill Assist Control): When going down an incline, if the brakes are not applied, the car tends to roll downwards. DAC ensures that the car does not move beyond a particular speed, allowing better control. Sum of all these features help in superior ground covering ability.
I could see rear wheels in the air, spinning while taking reverse and the two front wheels firmly grounded. Oh boy! it was a spectacular moment to watch.
Safety
The new Fortuner is loaded with safety features like impact absorbing structure with pedestrian protection support, seven SRS airbags, vehicle stability control (VSC), speed auto lock with emergency unlock, WIL-Safe (Whiplash Injury Lessening) front seats, ISOFIX Child Seat Mount and Tether Anchor, all row three point ELR (Emergency Locking Retractor) seatbelts with Pre-Tensioner and Force Limiter (PT/FL) in front row.
Available in two brand-new colours -— Phantom Brown and Avant Garde Bronze, the all-new Fortuner will continue to be available in the existing five colours — Super White, Attitude Black, Grey, Silver Metallic and Pearl White. The all-new Fortuner comes with a new 2.8-L diesel engine with an all-new six-speed automatic transmission (AT), with sequential and paddle shifters, and a new 2.7-L petrol engine.
While the petrol version (2WD) is priced at Rs 25.92 lakh (MT) and Rs 27.67 lakh (AT), the diesel variant is priced between Rs 27.52 lakh and 31.12 lakh (all ex-showroom, Delhi).
The petrol and the diesel engines are now more fuel-efficient than before. While the petrol returns 10.01 km/l (AT) and 10.24 km/l (MT), the diesel is good enough for 14.24km/l (MT), and 12.9 km/l (AT).
Verdict - Highly priced. However, it is the best bet to buy second generation Fortuner which is a complete package except, for a big miss — sunroof.