Fame and Fortuner
The Toyota Fortuner is the king of South African SUV’s, equally at home in the city or in the bush. It’s the perfect family vehicle in which to explore our vast country and learn more about its rich history
The ancient kingdom of Mapungubwe lies up against on our country’s northern border, at the confluence of the mighty Limpopo and Shashe rivers where Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa converge.
Today it is home to the magnificent Mapungubwe National Park, but a thousand years ago this was the site of the subcontinent’s first indigenous kingdom. Set on fertile lands blessed with gold and ivory, its strategic location enabled it to trade with India and China for almost 400 years – from 900 AD to 1300 AD. There are few better vehicles to explore this Unesco World Heritage site than the upgraded Toyota Fortuner. Our model, the flagship 2.8 GD-6 VX Fortuner 4x4, effortlessly swallowed all our luggage and cycling kit after we latched the two seats in the third row. We were on our way to ride the Tour de Tuli – the iconic 270 km cycling tour that begins and ends in Mapungubwe and includes long stretches through Zimbabwe and Botswana. It’s a tiresome six-hour, 520 km drive from Johannesburg to Mapungubwe but the Fortuner made it easy going thanks to the 2.8-litre GD-6 engine that delivers 150 kW of power and 500 Nm of torque. The N1 between Jo’burg and Polokwane is notorious for its speed traps and traffic cameras, so we simply engaged the radarequipped cruise control to stay within the speed limit. When the radar system detects a car slowing down in front of you, the Fortuner automatically reduces speed to maintain a safe following distance. The spacious cabin with its comfortable leather upholstered seats has recently been upgraded to a dual-zone climate control and an 11-speaker JBL Premium Audio system on the flagship model. Apple CarPlay/Android Auto functionality allows you to use all your smartphone apps like navigation and music via the 8-inch entertainment system. The 80-litre fuel tank allowed us to
cover almost more than 900km before we needed to refuel thanks to a fuel economy of just above 8 litres per 100 km on the open road. On the off-road jeep tracks in the national park the Fortuner once again proved that it has proper 4x4 credentials when we went game viewing after our cycle tour. It’s easy to toggle between 2WD, 4WD and 4WD Lo, and the rear differential can be engaged with the press of a button when things get steep and rough. Our VX model has been further enhanced with a Blind Spot Monitoring system and Rear Cross Traffic Alert which is particularly useful when you must reverse out of a parking lot and there are pedestrians or other cars crossing your exit to the rear. A tough, reliable yet comfortable and stylish vehicle like the Toyota Fortuner certainly takes the stress out of a long road trip like the one we undertook. It’s easy to see why it remains the top-selling vehicle in its segment.