When Toyota launched the Fortuner SUV in February, the media drive programme involved more time off-road than on the road.Fortunately, during our test week a birthday party beckoned in Te Aroha, so myself and two others set off on a road trip to evaluate the comfort and amenity of Toyota’s latest offer.
It was an excellent test run for the Fortuner across a mix of state highways and winding and bumpy rural roads, no doubt where many of these vehicles will spend time.
The Fortuner is a seven-seat diesel-powered SUV that will happily do double duty as a workhorse and family hauler for both urban and rural buyers. Automatic versions have a towing capacity (braked) of 2800kg, more than enough for a small boat, caravan, or horse float.
The two rows of rear seats fold away to provide a decent amount of capacity allowing the loading of two metre long objects. However, we left the rearmost third-row seats in the “down” position anchored to the floor but folded the seat backs flat to allow more luggage on board.
When the third-row seats are folded up, there is quite a noticeable blind spot created in the rear cabin, but the reversing camera mitigates this.
It’s a shame Toyota couldn’t come up with a different design and fold them into the floor, but I suspect the all-wheel-drive system and suspension have dictated this compromise.
Our test vehicle was the Limited version at $78,990 which differs from the GXL, and GX model with 18-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, and a powered driver’s seat, but no heating function, which seems an oversight in such a high specification vehicle.
However, the climate control offers rear ventilation vents for the occupants in the second and third rows and it has a fair amount of power.
For a vehicle that employs ladder-chassis technology rather than monocoque, only the worst corrugated road surfaces make their presence felt through the Fortuner’s suspension.
The 130-kilowatt 2.8-litre turbodiesel isn’t the quietest beast when accelerating; it’s pretty gruff, but once cruising speed is reached, its relatively muted, and fuel economy is good. Toyota quotes 8.6l/100km for the combined cycle for the automatic Fortuner variants and we managed 9.3l/100km.
At the wheel, the Fortuner is a relaxing and easy vehicle to drive, provided you operate it in the same manner of a Ute and not a hot hatch.
While the diesel-powered seven-seat SUV will easily keep up with other traffic in a straight line, you need to slow down for corners or there will be protests all round.
That said, on the return journey one hungover passenger reclined the middle row seat as far back as possible and slept all the way from Te Aroha to Auckland.
In summary, the Fortuner is as equally comfortable on-road as it is off-road. It has unique road presence thanks to Toyota’s new design style, the lashings of chrome and the kinked three-quarter rear window line won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s certainly distinctive.
Words and pictures: Robert Barry
