First off, since the ‘box is a conventional torque-converter rather than a new-fangled twin-clutch direct-shift, it isn’t very quick or very efficient. Furthermore, it adds 30 kilos to the kerb weight as compared to its manual counterpart, further slowing down the proceedings.
Open it up on the highway, and you’ll soon realise that while it isn’t the fastest SUV out there, the Fortuner isn’t too laboured either – posting an equable 12.22-second run from 0 to 100 km/h. The gearbox slots in easily and firmly, and you can choose to keep the car slotted in the fourth, third, or second, allowing you to harness all the torque for those proper off-road jaunts. The car also boasts of cruise control for those long highway drives.
The ride quality on this Fortuner is the same as its predecessor’s – slightly on the softer side, allowing you to soak up the bumps without bother, but becoming less steady while switching direction at high speed. The heavy steering doesn’t help in this regard either, although it is quite responsive in terms of feedback. There is also the prominent body-roll to contend with, which, to be fair, isn’t unexpected judging by the Fortuner’s relatively ample proportions. Braking is aided by an ABS, brake assist, and EBD, with a ventilated disc set-up up front, and rather dated drums at the rear. Despite all that technology, the brakes aren’t much more than adequate. They certainly won’t infuse you with the kind of confidence that otherwise encourages you to attempt top-speed runs. This isn’t the kind of car that will win you any track-days then, but where it does shine is when you stray off the beaten path.
Take the Fortuner off road if you really want to see it shine. The 221 mm of ground clearance, locking-diff and an option to drop it into low range means off-roading is a blast, and with the addition of the autobox the whole process is that much easier, not to mention that much more fun too. We took the car on all kinds of terrain too – wet and dry mud, sand, and gravel – and the car didn’t misbehave or have to be winched out at any time.
This Fortuner costs a steep Rs 30.42 lakh (OTR, Pune). And when compared to its more modern rivals, even in this new 4×4 automatic avatar is pretty old-school. It is, however, a big, bad, roomy, off-road beast, and isn’t all that exactly what you want from a proper SUV?
