Toyota Fortuner 2.7 Review
20 May 2009|49,607 views
Not just any commercial vehicle, but the Toyota Hilux, the vehicle many dub "The Indestructible Car". For those of us who religiously follow Top Gear, you probably recall the series of tests that the Hilux was put through some time back. It was driven down a flight of steps, crashed headlong into a tree, completely submerged out at sea, hit with a wrecking ball, set on fire and destroyed by a controlled demolition amongst other things on the popular television show. After some minor repairs, confident the Hilux was dead, the team turned the ignition and the truck roared back to life, leaving everyone with mouths gaping.
So I guess it's a good thing the people at Toyota used the same chassis to build the Fortuner on right? Well, let's see how it measures up as an SUV.
That's pretty darn tall
The Fortuner looks the part of a proper SUV, albeit, a little awkward for our liking. It sits almost 100mm higher than Toyota's popular RAV4 and exactly 53mm more than Audi's full-sized SUV, the Q7. Yet it's only 25mm wider than the RAV4 and 337mm narrower than the Q7. Not the most proportionate looking vehicle on the road.
It visually does get better though, with the Fortuner being kept in-line with the family's V8-pushing jewel, the Land Cruiser. The new set of projector headlamps and a redesigned rear cluster gives the 2009 Fortuner a new found aggression and seriousness that hints at this SUV's true prowess, much more than the last.
Thankfully much of the changes can be enjoyed where it really matters the most, on the inside.
 |
The driver now has the ability to adjust his seating position with the new six-way power seat, a feature we expected to see in the first Fortuner.
Passenger comfort has also been a priority with the designers at Toyota, installing dual air-con vents on the ceiling for the second-row seats so there's minimal obstruction of airflow and maximum cooling provided to both rows. Occupants also get the choice of four airflow levels, one more than its predecessor.
Probably what's most appealing about this utility vehicle is its practicality. Sounds like an oxymoron, but the Fortuner offers the space of a full-size SUV in it's mid-sized package.
The second row folds down flat and can then be folded upwards to free up the entire mid-section of the Fortuner while the last row folds flat as well, but instead folds towards the sides.
Folding the rear seats to the side can be a little tricky and commands a certain level of muscular strength. No mechanically-assisted features here folks, instead you need to grab the hook from underneath the seat and then fit it onto the handles on either side of the third row.
Not exactly the easiest thing to figure out in these times of lever-pulling and button pressing.
Driving the Fortuner
For those expecting the ride to be harsh, you'd be utterly disappointed.
While it's competitors are employing MacPherson struts, the Fortuner lumps the burden on it's double wishbone suspension with coil springs up-front and rear four-link with lateral rod setup. The result? A feathery drive that cushions you over bumpy surfaces and strikes that sweetspot between soft and obscenely stiff.
 |
The 2.7-litre VVT-i petrol unit does give this 1755kg vehicle enough pull, and pairing it up with the long-ratio four-speeder doesn't exactly make for an involving drive, but serves the targeted demographics pretty well. Drums are employed in the rear though, so braking needs a little more effort.
Steering the Fortuner is fine as long as you aren't negotiating tight bends at low speeds, as you might in a typical multi-story carpark. The steering becomes heavy and although it is an SUV after all, the market Toyota has locked their sights on would not appreciate the added effort when maneuvering.
The Verdict
The Fortuner is a rugged vehicle. It looks the part, and sits on a platform meant for off-roading and some serious weight hauling. So there's no surprise in learning that it's the best selling SUV in places like Thailand and the Philippines.
Finding a place for it in our concrete jungle however is a pretty tall order. Since it went on sale in May 2005, it's safe to assume that the bulk of the 984 Fortuner owners on our roads bought it for the imposingly tall presence on the asphalt than anything else.
At $85,488, Toyota's 2009 rear-wheel drive Fortuner is not the best packaged in the market, but offers a unique physique and space that most full-sized SUV and MPV owners have come to enjoy. But if you're in the market for something that commands immediate respect, towers over most other vehicles on our roads and excels on the dirt, head down to Borneo and sign up for a Fortuner.
Not just any commercial vehicle, but the Toyota Hilux, the vehicle many dub "The Indestructible Car". For those of us who religiously follow Top Gear, you probably recall the series of tests that the Hilux was put through some time back. It was driven down a flight of steps, crashed headlong into a tree, completely submerged out at sea, hit with a wrecking ball, set on fire and destroyed by a controlled demolition amongst other things on the popular television show. After some minor repairs, confident the Hilux was dead, the team turned the ignition and the truck roared back to life, leaving everyone with mouths gaping.
So I guess it's a good thing the people at Toyota used the same chassis to build the Fortuner on right? Well, let's see how it measures up as an SUV.
That's pretty darn tall
The Fortuner looks the part of a proper SUV, albeit, a little awkward for our liking. It sits almost 100mm higher than Toyota's popular RAV4 and exactly 53mm more than Audi's full-sized SUV, the Q7. Yet it's only 25mm wider than the RAV4 and 337mm narrower than the Q7. Not the most proportionate looking vehicle on the road.
It visually does get better though, with the Fortuner being kept in-line with the family's V8-pushing jewel, the Land Cruiser. The new set of projector headlamps and a redesigned rear cluster gives the 2009 Fortuner a new found aggression and seriousness that hints at this SUV's true prowess, much more than the last.
Thankfully much of the changes can be enjoyed where it really matters the most, on the inside.
|
The driver now has the ability to adjust his seating position with the new six-way power seat, a feature we expected to see in the first Fortuner.
Passenger comfort has also been a priority with the designers at Toyota, installing dual air-con vents on the ceiling for the second-row seats so there's minimal obstruction of airflow and maximum cooling provided to both rows. Occupants also get the choice of four airflow levels, one more than its predecessor.
Probably what's most appealing about this utility vehicle is its practicality. Sounds like an oxymoron, but the Fortuner offers the space of a full-size SUV in it's mid-sized package.
The second row folds down flat and can then be folded upwards to free up the entire mid-section of the Fortuner while the last row folds flat as well, but instead folds towards the sides.
Folding the rear seats to the side can be a little tricky and commands a certain level of muscular strength. No mechanically-assisted features here folks, instead you need to grab the hook from underneath the seat and then fit it onto the handles on either side of the third row.
Not exactly the easiest thing to figure out in these times of lever-pulling and button pressing.
Driving the Fortuner
For those expecting the ride to be harsh, you'd be utterly disappointed.
While it's competitors are employing MacPherson struts, the Fortuner lumps the burden on it's double wishbone suspension with coil springs up-front and rear four-link with lateral rod setup. The result? A feathery drive that cushions you over bumpy surfaces and strikes that sweetspot between soft and obscenely stiff.
|
The 2.7-litre VVT-i petrol unit does give this 1755kg vehicle enough pull, and pairing it up with the long-ratio four-speeder doesn't exactly make for an involving drive, but serves the targeted demographics pretty well. Drums are employed in the rear though, so braking needs a little more effort.
Steering the Fortuner is fine as long as you aren't negotiating tight bends at low speeds, as you might in a typical multi-story carpark. The steering becomes heavy and although it is an SUV after all, the market Toyota has locked their sights on would not appreciate the added effort when maneuvering.
The Verdict
The Fortuner is a rugged vehicle. It looks the part, and sits on a platform meant for off-roading and some serious weight hauling. So there's no surprise in learning that it's the best selling SUV in places like Thailand and the Philippines.
Finding a place for it in our concrete jungle however is a pretty tall order. Since it went on sale in May 2005, it's safe to assume that the bulk of the 984 Fortuner owners on our roads bought it for the imposingly tall presence on the asphalt than anything else.
At $85,488, Toyota's 2009 rear-wheel drive Fortuner is not the best packaged in the market, but offers a unique physique and space that most full-sized SUV and MPV owners have come to enjoy. But if you're in the market for something that commands immediate respect, towers over most other vehicles on our roads and excels on the dirt, head down to Borneo and sign up for a Fortuner.
Car Information
Toyota Fortuner 2.7 (A)
CAT B|Petrol|8.3km/L
Horsepower
117kW (157 bhp)
Torque
241 Nm
Acceleration
12.2sec (0-100km /hr)
This model is no longer being sold by local distributor
All Used Toyota Fortuner
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