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The Toyota Fortuner ought to, on paper, be a phase stalwart.
In any case, it’s based mostly on the identical underpinnings because the all-conquering HiLux ute, and Toyota Australia has a near-perfect strike charge on the subject of introducing new names to Australia.
Unusually although, the Fortuner hasn’t actually been a gross sales success. It’s persistently outdone by the Isuzu MU-X and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport on the gross sales charts, even after a mid-life facelift and an influence increase.
Constructed on the identical rugged, ladder-frame bones as its ute sibling, the Fortuner encompasses a extra comfort-oriented coil spring suspension setup, extra luxurious inside, extra seats… and no tray, after all.
It’s aimed toward individuals who wish to take their household into the wilderness, to locations a extra road-oriented seven-seater received’t go.
Why has the Fortuner struggled to make an affect in Australia?
How a lot does the Toyota Fortuner GXL price?
The Fortuner GXL on check has a sticker worth of $55,085 earlier than on-road prices, though choosing the Luxurious Pack (leather-based seats, powered entrance seats) provides $2500 to the sticker worth for an as-tested sticker of $57,635 earlier than on-roads.
The vary kicks off at $49,715 earlier than on-roads for the GX, and extends to $62,945 earlier than on-roads for the evocatively-named Campaign. Toyota doesn’t provide two-wheel drive variants, nor a guide anymore.
The GXL is priced between the Isuzu MU-X LS-M 4×4 ($54,900) and LS-U ($61,400), and intersects the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLS ($54,190) and Exceed ($59,690) 4WD fashions.
The entry-level, five-seat Ford Everest 4×2 Ambiente ($57,990) is a close to excellent match based mostly on worth.
What’s the Toyota Fortuner GXL like on the within?
The Fortuner is, at first look, a reasonably luxurious tackle the rugged SUV formulation.
With leather-based trim on the seats and steering wheel, a leather-like padded cowl for the highest glovebox, and loads of gloss black, it’s flashier than you would possibly count on of a HiLux-based off-roader.
In actuality, the flashiness isn’t backed with the substance you’d hope. The driving place is poor for tall drivers – at six-seven, I must lever my legs beneath the wheel and sit with them awkwardly splayed – and among the contact factors really feel downright nasty.
The central armrest is rock laborious, the handbrake is trimmed in brittle plastic, and the chunky steering wheel doesn’t truly really feel significantly flash in your fingers.
Why Toyota has trimmed the glovebox lid in plush leatherette, however left the armrest uncomfortably stable, stays a thriller.
Infotainment is a Toyota weak spot, and it stays that method right here. The 8.0-inch display screen within the Fortuner is sluggish as well up and laggy in day-to-day use. Apple CarPlay is its saving grace, though you’ll nonetheless must plug in.
The motive force is confronted with easy, legible analogue dials between which sits a color journey pc able to exhibiting your velocity, media, or journey knowledge.
Storage up entrance is ok, however nothing extra. The cupholders are nestled beneath the centre console beneath a flip-up lid, and there’s an open house that might be the right slot for a wi-fi charger… however as an alternative is only a neat place to place your telephone.
The twin-tier glovebox has loads of house, and the underarm bin has room for a household’s value of street journey snacks.
Rear seat house is ok, however nothing extra. There’s marginally much less legroom than is obtainable in rivals such because the MU-X, and headroom is on par for the category.
The Fortuner has roof-mounted air vents, however it lacks USB ports. As an alternative, it encompasses a much less helpful 240V plug.
Though the rear bench slides, entry to the third row is tighter than in some rivals. With the motive force’s seat set for a taller grownup, the opening by which youngsters must climb to entry the third row is kind of tight, and the seats are extra suited to younger youngsters.
Though there are air vents again there, you don’t get cupholders or gadget energy. Then there’s the actual fact Toyota hasn’t engineered the third row within the Fortuner to fold into the ground.
As an alternative, it’s essential clip them to the aspect of the load bay, which limits visibility and boot house, and means they squeak over tough roads. They are often eliminated fully, however it’s a laborious course of. The boot lid can also be guide.
Toyota doesn’t quote a claimed boot capability for the Fortuner, however impartial figures quote 200L with the third row in use, 716L with the third row folded, and 1080L with the second row folded.
What’s beneath the bonnet?
The Toyota Fortuner is powered by the identical 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine because the HiLux ute, with 150kW of energy and 500Nm of torque.
It comes with a six-speed computerized transmission and switchable four-wheel drive, together with low vary and a locking rear differential.
Claimed gas financial system is 7.6L/100km on the ADR mixed metropolis and freeway cycle, and the Fortuner has an 80L gas tank. We noticed 8.2L/100km on a blended loop.
How does the Toyota Fortuner GXL drive?
The Fortuner relies on the HiLux ute, and it exhibits.
Even after a current replace the HiLux is without doubt one of the extra rugged dual-cab utes on the market, and that doesn’t translate nicely to a seven-seat household SUV.
With heavy steering at low velocity and a noticeable diesel clatter on startup, it feels very truck-like from the second you get rolling. None of its rivals can fully disguise their agricultural roots, however newer choices do a greater job than the Toyota.
Navigating tight underground carparks requires extra arm-twirling and larger biceps than is good. The Fortuner simply feels cumbersome in tight areas, regardless of truly being the smaller than a few of its rivals – and regardless of Toyota making the steering lighter with a mid-life refresh.
The third-row seats additionally lower visibility after they’re folded into the aspect of the load house, and the dearth of blind-spot monitoring is disappointing in 2022. Toyota presents them on the Campaign, however has skimped right here.
The reversing digital camera can also be low-resolution, and a surround-view digital camera would make putting the automotive and its appreciable entrance overhang a lot simpler.
What the Fortuner does have is grunt, and loads of it. Toyota boosted the two.8-litre turbo-diesel engine together with its styling in 2020, upping energy to 150kW and torque to 500Nm, and it exhibits in the actual world.
Lean on the accelerator and the Fortuner surges ahead extra determinedly than earlier than if you’re within the mid-range, and the six-speed computerized can maintain a taller gear as an alternative of shifting down when it’s essential get a transfer on.
It feels assured and settled on the transfer, one thing that solely turns into extra related as you add passengers, baggage, or a trailer.
At freeway speeds, the clattery diesel engine settles down properly and the rear suspension within the Fortuner lends it a settled experience.
It nonetheless has the marginally busy, jiggly really feel widespread in ute-based SUVs with solely the motive force on board, however it isn’t fairly as busy on the rear as an Isuzu MU-X.
Over washboard gravel with some potholes, there’s a fairly smooth edge to the experience. It does an honest job protecting occupants separated with what’s taking place beneath them, and doesn’t get skittish.
The traction management and stability management within the Fortuner lower in fairly easily on unfastened surfaces, and the change between 2H, 4H, and 4L four-wheel drive modes occurs swiftly. Nervous off-roaders shall be happy to know there are many clear lights on the dashboard to point out what’s taking place beneath the pores and skin.
The Fortuner feels each bit like a body-on-frame truck on roads with a big crown, requiring a good bit of steering to maintain the entrance finish on the straight and slender.
Toyota’s driver assists additionally lack the sophistication you’d count on in 2022. The lane-keeping system is brake-based relatively than steering the automotive again between the white strains if you stray.
For a automotive designed to cowl lengthy distances with valuable cargo on board, it’s disappointing.
What do you get?
Fortuner GX highlights:
- Aspect steps
- 60/40 cut up tumble-folding second-row seats
- 50/50 cut up side-folding third row
- Entrance, rear air con
- Air-conditioned cooler field
- Rear differential lock
- 4.2-inch multi-information show
- Three 12V energy sockets
- Computerized headlamps
- 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display screen
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Six-speaker sound system
- AEB with pedestrian/bike owner detection
- Lane departure warning
- Street signal recognition
- Adaptive cruise management
- Reversing digital camera
- Rear parking sensors
- Hill begin help
- Trailer sway management
The GX will be had with DAB radio and satellite tv for pc navigation ($1000).
Fortuner GXL provides:
- Privateness glass
- Chrome exterior trim
- Roof rails
- Leatherette steering wheel
- Paddle shifters
- Keyless entry and begin
- Adjustable instrumentation lighting
- Local weather management
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
- DAB+ digital radio
- Hill-descent management
- Keyless entry and begin
- Roof rails
- LED fog lamps
- Privateness glass
The GXL will be optioned with leather-accented, powered entrance seats for $2500.
Fortuner Campaign provides:
- Alloy spare wheel
- Powered tailgate
- LED headlights
- LED daytime operating lights
- Door courtesy lights
- Fake woodgrain trim
- Leather-based-accented inside
- Eight-way powered driver’s seat
- Smooth-touch console field lid
- 220V accent port
- Self-levelling headlamps
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
Is the Toyota Fortuner GXL protected?
The Toyota Fortuner wears five-star ANCAP security ranking, based mostly on checks carried out on the associated HiLux in 2019.
It obtained scores of 95 per cent for grownup occupant safety, 84 per cent for youngster occupant safety, 88 per cent for susceptible street consumer safety, and 78 per cent for security help.
Commonplace security tools contains:
- AEB with pedestrian and bike owner detection
- Lane- departure warning
- Lane-keep help (by way of braking)
- Visitors signal recognition
- Reversing digital camera
- Entrance and rear parking sensors
- Trailer sway management
- Adaptive cruise management
Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are reserved for the Campaign.
How a lot does the Toyota Fortuner GXL price to run?
The Fortuner is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee – prolonged to seven years on the powertrain in the event you service on time inside the Toyota supplier community.
Sadly, these providers are required each six months or 10,000km. The primary three years of upkeep will set you again a mixed $1500, at which level Toyota’s capped-price service provide ends.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Toyota Fortuner GXL
The Fortuner is a uncommon miss from Toyota.
There’s no questioning the standard of its underpinnings, nor the enchantment of Toyota’s sprawling supplier community, however there are extra fashionable, refined, and comfy ute-based crossovers on the market for related cash.
The inside isn’t as nicely thought out appropriately, as evidenced by the side-holstered third-row seats, and the actual fact Toyota withholds blind-spot and rear cross-traffic from the mid-range GXL is disappointing.
As for its strengths? The engine feels muscular, the experience is fairly good on pitted roads, and the aftermarket is brimming with equipment for individuals who wish to make their experience harder.
In case you do have your coronary heart set on a Fortuner, the GXL with Luxurious Pack does look like the neatest purchase within the vary. It presents the correct quantity of luxurious on the proper worth alongside the Campaign.
Click on the photographs for the total gallery
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