SUVs are driven on the sealed tarmac most of the time, so Toyota has made its Fortuner more luxurious and comfortable
WHAT'S NEW?
As part of Toyota's huge IMV project, the Fortuner gets its second facelift _ the same as what has happened to the pickup range including the Smart Cab and Double Cab bodies.
Although not exactly the same in appearance, the Fortuner has evolved with a sleeker front end.
The tear-drop tail lights, side-view mirrors with lights integrated into them, fenders, bumpers and wheels are also new.
The Fortuner's interior has been slightly touched-up with trim looking like wood and aluminium, new panel dials and a touch-screen monitor housing various digital functions and Bluetooth.
The technical credentials remain basically the same including the 3.0-litre diesel-turbo engine, as well as the 2.7-litre petrol variant. The automatic gearbox still remains the four-speed type.
Toyota says the suspension has been slightly revised in the interest of better ride comfort, and there's a new underbody diffuser up front to help compensate for any loss in high-speed stability caused by the softer ride.
The overall mission, according to Toyota, is to make the Fortuner more car-like to look at, be in and drive.
The price range is 1.219-1.489 million baht; the one tested here is the 163hp 3.0-litre with 2WD drive system _ which is really all you need if you happen to be one of those users Toyota reckon will form the majority of Fortuner buyers.
WHAT'S COOL?
Okay, SUVs are supposed to be rugged-looking cars because they are designed to do the dirty work. But when users have their hands clean at virtually all times, you can't blame the maker for making an SUV look more like a car.
For this reason, the Fortuner seems tidier than before and sort of looks like a Subaru Forester _ a car-based SUV that's similar to a Honda CR-V but not to pickup-based sport-utes like the Toyota.
The same could be said for the cabin because it now feels more luxurious and classy. Toyota has added more convenience features to the Fortuner with the result that it has almost become a capable replacement for the Land Cruiser Prado.
Toyota's claims of an improved ride seemed to hold weight, as we found out last week when we drove the Fortuner around different road surfaces in south Thailand _ the ride suppleness was just about right, it was less fidgety than before, and quiet at most times.
Two other highlights of the Fortuner, present ever since its launch seven years ago, have been retained: crisp steering and smooth, responsive performance.
WHAT'S NOT?
There have been many voices among the local media about the Fortuner's looks because it lacks the 4x4 ruggedness of the previous version (first facelift). So, cue the arguments.
And despite the freshened design details inside and out, the Fortuner can never hide its age. Toyota can be grateful that the competition, especially the Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-7, are equally as dreary. That leaves the Mitsubishi Pajero to be judged.
In terms of function, the only major drawback of the Fortuner's seven-seat interior is the third-row of seats that still fold away laterally in an old-fashioned manner.
And in spite of a well-performing motor, our test average of 11kpl was nothing special, if not bad, for two-tonne SUVs with diesel engines these days.
BUY OR BYE?
Last month we summed up the Hilux Vigo Champ double-cab as a good buy, thanks to an ageing competition. The only threat it faced was the Mitsubishi Triton even though available with flaws to weigh in.
The Fortuner is exactly the same case in which you only have to consider the Pajero Sport when deciding to go for one.
The Mitsu may have a stronger performance, better off-roading capability and a more user-friendly seating versatility.
But the Fortuner still is hard to ignore because of its more relevant driving manners (easy on-road handling and refined ride and cruising ability) more balanced performance and nearly as effective interior.
Because of that, the Fortuner remains a decent buy, particularly in fake 4x4 form.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment