TOYOTA FORTUNER CRUSADE

$57,990 DRIVE-AWAY 15 POINTS

VALUE

The top-spec Fortuner is within $500 of the cheapest Prado (but no one pays the RRP of $62,000). To spur sales, the $58K drive-away is set for the foreseeable future. Standard are leather seats, 11-speaker premium audio, seven-inch touchscreen with built-in navigation and digital radio. Warranty is three years/ 100,000km, service intervals are six months/10,000km and the first six services are $240 each.

DESIGN

Not everyone is a fan of its unusual styling. The dash design is more cramped than the HiLux and Prado stablemates. The second row seats tilt and slide for access to the third-row, which is suited to kids only. When the third row is not in use, cargo space is restricted as the seats stow vertically to the side.

ENGINE

The 2.8-litre turbo diesel (130kW/450Nm) shared with the Prado and matched to a six-speed auto uses slightly more fuel — 8.6L/100km versus the Prado’s 8.0L — because the latter’s engine idles at a lower speed and there is different transmission calibration. In the real world, the pair drank about the same, about 9L-10L in a mix of suburban and highway driving.

SAFETY

Seven airbags, stability control, trailer sway control, rear camera and sensors and hill start assistance are standard. It has a five-star crash safety rating from ANCAP tests in 2015. If tested to today’s more stringent standards it would get four stars at best, given it lacks autonomous emergency braking.

DRIVING

With its tall stance, the Fortuner is made for rock crawling but most buyers use it to tow a caravan, a boat or to run the kids to school and sports. It feels as if it’s on its tippy toes when negotiating roundabouts and speed bumps, so you need to apply a little patience as well as the brakes. It doesn’t corner like a car so anyone new to 4WDs should take it easy.