By Brent van der Schyff
We tested the latest Fortuner, South Africa’s favourite SUV, on a drive into the Groot Karoo. Our mission, to explore the latest offering on some of the most roadtrip-worthy roads, the world has to offer. Spoiler alert. It’s not just a nip and tuck operation.
The ‘King of the road’, thanks to the sheer volume of crossover-based Hilux on SA roads, needs no introduction. The people love them, and those who can’t afford them aspire to own them. The numbers don’t lie, with a market share in its segment of over 40% each year since its introduction in 2006. It’s a staggering piece of data, and it is no surprise that getting behind the wheel of the latest facelifted version is just why. The reliable recipe remains the same, but this time around, refinement comes with it.
What’s new on the outside?
The nip-tuck operation has included more aggressively shaped front and rear bumpers, introducing carved-out sections to give the otherwise blander-looking outgoing model a sharper look. Change approved. Along with that comes a new LED headlight display and front grill. To further bolster the look and feel, 18-inch wheels are introduced, which add to the assertive look. We like it. Everything added is subtle and not quite the overbearing exercise. In the paint department, a new two-tone black and white option has been added to the colour swatch option list but is only available on the 2.8 option we tested.
What’s new on the inside?
On the interior, Toyota has introduced a new black and red theme interior on the VX model we tested. Most things have stayed the same, which is not a bad thing at all. The new Fortuner remains a car you don’t mind being confined to for long drives. It’s a treat and joy to observe the beautiful surroundings of the Western Cape roads from its comfort, which continues to offer the uncompromised balance of luxury and affordability.
What’s it like to drive?
The ride quality feels as sound as ever. Refined levels with low road noise both on and off the road. Offering a real sense of joy navigating even the harshest of roads. Masking the agricultural nature of a ladder frame drive on the road tends to have as smooth a drive as before. The acceleration is ample for a car of this size, and at cruising highway speeds, road noise is kept to a minimum, even at higher highway speeds. The steering feels for a car of this size felt sharp and responsive and enhances your control on tight sections of gravel or tar road. It has the type of control you need when commuting with family and feels planted.
The feel of the drive on and off the road makes the Fortuner a great all-rounder, as good road cars are generally only good on tar, and excellent off-road cars are great, only off-road. The Fortuner finds the happy medium between these two disciplines, and that latest evolution is a level up on the outgoing version. Additionally, the automatic gear changes feel more intuitive than previous models driven, which leads me to believe that something has been changed (more on that later), and my feelings are likely software mapping has been improved.
A world view, things are changing
Demand for smaller SUVs has increased as the world is moving towards smaller family sizes. This is front of mind for Toyota as they reposition the Fortuner to meet that demand by offering a medium-sized value proposition. For those seeking this option, even with the base models, you won’t be short-changed. It’s quality across the board.
The great unknown
Playing coy at the briefing, Toyota wasn’t 100% sure of the changes made beyond the cosmetic stuff. Sounds mysterious, right? And who doesn’t like a good mystery? Beyond that and what we’ve noticed from a ride quality perspective and with the Kaizen philosophy Toyota has been built on, things have improved. From the driver’s feel, changes have been made to current Fortuner’s underpinnings. The drive comfort and transmission enhancements were ranked tops. The latter was the most obvious throughout our launch drive, as the gearbox felt more intuitive than the current offering.
What about that new Ford Everest?
When the topic was brought up, Toyota South Africa said this is not the fight the Everest wants, citing that the Prado is where the Everest aims. This is a good thing for Fortuna to continue its captive market ownership into the future. Brand loyalty will, however, prove to reign supreme in the fight. With the affordable cost of the Fortuner offering, we can expect current Fortuner owners to refrain from swaying in their choice.
Here’s your cheat sheet for an epic road trip
Traversing the mountainous routes, Swartberg Pass, making our way from George, Calitzdorp and then through Swartberg Pass, our route was surrounded by some of the most picturesque mountains views the world offers. The natural heritage site of the Swartberg Pass before overnighting in Prince Albert. The next day says we would see us missioning through the R407 before piercing through the town of Uniondale before making our way to another spectacular offering in the world of mountain passes, “De Vlugt”. A route I urge you to pursue. Here’s your cheat sheet. Now to pack that ‘padkos’. On our way up, we managed 9.1l/100km, which pitted against the claimed figure of 8.6l/100km. Granted, we weren’t carrying the average load expected a family road trip would face, but the figures still proved impressive.
Prices:
Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 RB 6MT R653 500
Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 RB 6AT R677 500
Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 4X4 RB 6AT R709 800
Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 RB 6AT R794 600
Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 4X4 6AT R873 500
Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 RB VX 6AT R837 500
Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 4X4 VX 6AT R915 400