Ten improvements in the 2011 Fortuner

THE 2011 Fortuner is the Camry version of Toyota’s SUV. Photos by Jason K. Ang

With the Fortuner’s novelty fading and newer competition gaining more popularity, it is the perfect time for Toyota to update its offering. The 2011 Fortuner contains the most number of significant changes since the car was launched, giving the car more features and improving on its quality, while still retaining its value. Here are the highlights of the new model:

1 Ride Quality: We wouldn’t go so far to say that the Fortuner’s rock-hard ride has been suddenly replaced by a magic carpet. It’s not as if a plank of wood has been changed to pillow—more like the rough edges have been sanded off. The bounce is still there as expected in an SUV, but with a little more refinement and less harshness.

2 Style: The 2011 Fortuner is the Camry version of Toyota’s SUV. Though that seems like a clash of ideals, the front end turns out excellently. The horizontal grille and smaller headlamps give a bit of executive style to the car. The rear features Toyota Altezza (aka Lexus IS)-style clear taillights that give a bit of tuner flavor.

3 HID headlamps: The new headlamps are not just to make the car prettier. They house HID xenon lamps, for better visibility and presumably longer life.

THE REAR features clear taillights that give a bit of tuner flavor.

4 Steering: The steering feels lighter on the updated Fortuner, making parking and tight maneuvering less of a chore.

5 Bluetooth connectivity: Linking your smartphone (or advanced dumbphone) to the Fortuner’s audio system is easy thanks to the Bluetooth feature. The head unit also allows wireless streaming of audio programs from your phone.

HID xenon lamps, for better visibility and presumably longer life

6 Aircon vents for all seating positions: Where the first Fortuner merely had extra air-con vents for the third-row passengers, the new car has them built into the headliner, so all passengers can get that much-needed whiff of cold air.

7 Christmas tree lighting for instruments:  Always-lit Optitron instruments are apparently not enough, so Toyota brought out its Crayola set to make the gauges blink in all colors of the rainbow-mainly blue.

8 Standard parking sensor: As the Fortuner can be difficult to reverse into a parking slot when full or when it’s raining hard, parking sensors are a must. The original car’s four-sensor array proves to be genuinely useful and not overly pessimistic, making it genuinely useful. The 2011 Fortuner comes with rear sensors as standard, and could even be deactivated via a console switch, in case you don’t want the noise to wake up baby.

9 Wood: Luxury for Toyota usually means more wood, so the Fortuner, which originally didn’t have a single slice of bark in its interior, is now slathered in what looks like acres of forest. There’s a huge piece of wood surrounding the radio and the door switches, and the top arc of the steering wheel is also wrapped in deep, black, wood.

THE 2011 Fortuner comes with rear sensors as standard, and could even be deactivated via a console switch.

10 Steering wheel switches: Along with the Bluetooth feature, another tool to help keep your hands on the wheel. The buttons on the steering wheel allow audio control and manipulation of the trip computer.

Are these updates enough to propel the Fortuner back to the top of the heap? One thing is certain: Toyota is not content to sit on its laurels and certainly not satisfied with being runner-up. The Fortuner’s new clothes may be just the ticket to push it to number one once again.