Toyota Fortuner Pros And Cons: What Works And What Holds It Back!

If there is an SUV, that can be called the King Of SUVs in India, has to be the Toyota Fortuner, as per the popular choice of the masses. A lot of SUVs came to challenge it for the top spot, but eventually tumbled and rolled off the hill. While there are some very very solid reasons for its ever-going success, but it it just that, or there are some shortcomings that are mostly left off, in front of its brand name? In this section, we bare out the pros and cons of this SUV to find out how balanced is this desired beast of an SUV. Meanwhile, we regularly cover a variety of interesting pieces like this, so make sure to join our 91Wheels Whatsapp Channel, specifically curated for all the avid petrolheads with extensive coverage of the latest news and insights from the automotive space.

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PROS

1. Road Presence

Nothing screams authority and power like the Toyota Fortuner does. Many SUVs have come and gone in the Indian market, but nothing could dethrone the true blue SUV feel of the Fortuner. It has been and still remains the top choice for SUV enthusiasts. Ready to spend the whopping price of this SUV, it has everything to do with the road presence that it exudes. It looks sharp, has a butch stance, and the chunky tires feel like a rumbling monster on the road that commands attention and generally finds the roads ahead, steered clear.

2. Engine Delivers The Thrill

The 2.8L diesel AT engine churns out 500 Nm torque and a 204 PS power which is a tremendous amount of power and feels at ease pulling this heavy SUV with linear response. It also comes with a range of options including a diesel manual, diesel automatic, petrol manual, petrol automatic, and even a proper 4X4 variant as well. The 2.7L petrol engine offers a similar driving feel and opens up the flexibility for a spirit-powered mill as well.

3. Petrol, Diesel, Manual, Automatic

As mentioned, the range of options with the Toyota Fortuner makes it a lot more acceptable in the market. You can choose from a diesel automatic, diesel manual, a petrol automatic, as well as a petrol manual variants. This permutation and combination opens up new horizons for those spending this amount of money.

4. Modern Utility Features

The Toyota Fortuner never really relied on features for its sailing as the brand trust in their engines has been the major selling point. While it has always remained a step behind in terms of offering a tech fest inside the cabin, it still offers a modern cabin with features like ventilated seats, automatic climate control, quad-LED headlamps, powered tailgate, wireless charger, front parking sensors, paddle-shifters and a few more. Although it does not brim it up to the heights, it offers a really practical list of modern and useful features.

5. Robust Safety Suite

After its engine reliability exceeds multiple lakhs on the odo, what Toyota is famous for, is its safety. And the Fortuner is no different. The Fortuner is solid in build quality and offers a range of safety features to further mitigate unfortunate circumstances and their effects. The Toyota Fortuner comes with 7 airbags, Hill-hold assist, ABS with EBD, downhill assist control, traction control, and more. On top of this, the ASEAN NCAP has awarded it with a full house of 5 stars owing to its solid build quality and these preventive as well as mitigative measures.

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CONS

1. Expensive Top-Spec Variant

We get that everything comes at a price, but as you climb up the trim ladder, the price begins to rise steeply. This pinnacles at the GR Sport variant which is priced at Rs. 51.44 lakhs ex-showroom, which is a very big ask, even for its top-spec variant. This, including the insurance, RTO, and other expenses would cost somewhere around Rs. 60 lakhs in New Delhi. Considering everything that it offers, this is a steep ask and has been gradually moving upwards.

2. No Petrol 4X4

If you want a petrol Fortuner with 4X4, you are in for disappointment as the 4X4 variant exclusively comes with the diesel mill. However, you do get the option to choose from either the manual or automatic gearbox. Going a step further, you can also get a 4X4 with the Legender version as well. While the petrol churns out lesser fuel economy, it's better to go for a diesel SUV, for a size this big, the latest 10-year lifespan of diesel cars in Delhi NCR and Himachal Pradesh has renewed the interest of buyers to go for a petrol SUV, although still not aggressively.

3. Legender Misses Out On Manual Gearbox

Remember the Legender is available with a 4X4 variant, but it does so only in a diesel automatic. This again puts you in a forcible selection process where the Legender is available in just a diesel auto. You don't get a manual or even a petrol engine for that matter. This is a bummer if you were eying any of the above-mentioned combinations.

4. Lacks Feature Considering Rivals And Price Point

Fortuner was never known for its futuristic cabin, and the same is quite evident when compared to its rivals. Even with a massive price tag of Rs. 50 lakhs, you do not get any ADAS, 360-degree camera, TPMS, assistive parking guidelines, a sunroof, and many more. For reference, the MG Gloster comes with ADAS, a sunroof, a 360-degree camera, TPMS, and a plethora of modern features.

5. Body Roll, But That's Obvious!

An SUV the size of Fortuner with a high ground clearance and a tall body stance, evidently and as expected offers a noticeable body roll. Cornering at high speeds doesn't inspire confidence and the body on the frame chassis has its own contributions. The steering also feels a bit on the heavier side, which could be a pro or a con, depending on who you are as a person. But cornering or making U-turns will feel like a slight task.