Toyota’s Fortuner teller

Is it a game changer? That’s always the question when a carmaker enters a new segment, and it’s a pertinent one for Toyota with the launch of the Fortuner 4x4. John Oxley reports.

Toyota’s sales and marketing boss Steve Prangnell has coined a new motor industry segment: “medium rugged SUV”. It might not feature in the MIA’S scheme of things, but I understand what he’s getting at. After all, in the past few months we’ve seen two new entrants which could be described thus, the Ford Everest and the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (replacement for the Challenger), and they come on top of the existing line-up of the Holden Colorado 7 and the Isuzu MU-X. All are station wagon versions of each manufacturer’s utes, each is well-equipped and spacious, and each comes with up to seven seats. More to the point, though, each one is remarkably capable off-road, with low ratio gearboxes, separate chassis, large ground clearance, and bags of grunt from diesel engines, as well as high levels of trim which in some cases extend to leather upholstery and the latest driver assistance software. So the Fortuner is based on the recentlyintroduced new Hilux, with only the bonnet and doors carried over on the body, although the whole of the drive train is the same. And immediately Prangnell admitted the Fortuner might steal buyers ready to trade in their Prados (which in terms of Steve’s segmentation, would also be a “rugged SUV”), although he was quick to point out that he expected the cumulative effect would be a big increase in total Toyota sales in this new segment. So the next question is, are we going to see a total change in buying patterns, away from the “soft-road SUVS” that currently dominate the market, and which are to all intents and purposes not much more than tall people carriers with (sometimes) allwheel drive? Are we going to see buyers getting all down and dirty, “going bush”? Or is this going to be just a way of supplying Toyota SUV buyers with a diesel model that’s cheaper, and smaller, than a Prado? Only time will tell. Certainly Prangnell is hedging his bets, launching a four-vehicle line-up that includes a manual, but stating that this could be changed once a buying pattern has been established. Currently there are three grades, GX, GXL and Limited. All that said, the Fortuner, taken in context, is an excellent proposition. Suspension has been revised to make the seven-seater 4x4 wagon more comfortable, both on and offroad, with a coil-sprung live axle rear, while styling reflects modern trends, with a “cokebottle” lift to the rear end. Interestingly, Fortuner prices start at $70,990 for the GX manual, with another $2,000 for the auto, while the GLX, auto only, is at $75,990, and the top-end Limited, again auto, at $78,990, the latter $500 more than the entry-level Prado. Compared to the opposition, the Colorado 7 ranges from $62,990 to $66,990; the MU-X is represented by one model at $65,990, and the Pajero Sport from $58,990 to $63,990 (five-seat only until later in the year; the seven-seat will be $2,000 more) and Everest at $75,990 or a whopping $87,990. The Fortuner name tag has been around for a while now, but it hasn’t been sold in New Zealand; this is the second generation. As far as the drivetrain is concerned, the Fortuner gets the same new 2.8-litre 130kw/450nm turbo-diesel as the Hilux and the Prado (except for the manual, which is de-rated to 420Nm), with six speed gearboxes, and paddle shifters on the auto models. There are three drive modes, Eco, Normal or Power, and range selection is by a rotary switch on the dash. As far as off-roading is concerned, a hill descent system, plus hill start assistance, and a full traction control system (switchable) as well as a locking rear diff, adequately take care of that, as we found out when we went to Cape Kidnappers outside Hastings. An anomaly is that Toyota claims 279mm ground clearance, but Spencer Morris, general manager of product, points out that this is measured in the centre of the vehicle for ramp-over comparisons, not at the lowest point, which is more likely to be the 228mm quoted in Australia. Wading depth is a very useful 700mm, while tow rating is 2.8 tonnes for the auto and three tonnes for the manual. Trailer sway control is fitted. The active safety package includes a reversing camera and rear sensors, and vehicle stability control, and there are seven airbags and a 2015 ANCAP five-star safety rating. There’s a seven-inch touch screen audio system with voice recognition and steering wheel controls, with AUX/USB and Bluetooth. .