Ten things that are great about Fortuner

Familiarity may breed contempt, but in some cases it gives rise to a certain level of comfort or even respect. The former applies to Britney Spears songs or repeat viewings of the Star Wars prequels, while the latter applies to a pair of jeans, a favorite brand of chocolate, and, most importantly for the purpose of this article, the family ride. For almost five years, the Toyota Fortuner has been our reliable ride. In that time, it has nearly earned its reputation as a solid mode of transport.

Toyota Fortuner

The Fortuner is the classic SUV, a passenger vehicle built on a truck chassis. That gives it the rough-road clearance and a semblance of toughness, while also limiting what it can achieve in terms of comfort. Toyota did an excellent job for the time, coming up with a vehicle that didn’t lose out to similarly priced executive sedans like the Camry in terms of equipment and features, while providing a bigger seating capacity and the carrying ability of a light-duty truck.

Here are some things that set the Fortuner apart from its competition, assuring its popularity, and proving the then-strange name an appropriate prediction, as Toyota sold more than 40,000 of these SUVs:

1 Ergonomics: The Fortuner easily beats its competitors when it was first launched, particularly when it comes to interior offerings. The cockpit is cleanly laid out in classic Toyota fashion. All switchgear and controls were up-to-date and easily manipulated. There was no quirky parking brake or clumsily located buttons in the cabin.

2 Tall ride height: There’s nothing like seeing eye-to-eye with infernal bus drivers. It gives you a psychological boost. The Fortuner allows shorter drivers, including petite women, a greater feeling of security in being able to peer above other traffic.

3 Visibility: The tall ride height also helps improve visibility as well as ease of driving. The large windows and squared-off hood allow the driver to maneuver the car in tight spaces without breaking into a sweat. Having said that, the rear parking sensors are welcome additions especially when backing into some areas.

4 True seven-seat capacity: The Fortuner has a pair of folding seats for its third row. The third row is well designed for a pair of adults who would be enduring a whole-day journey, without making them wish they were the size of Tyrion Lannister. There are proper headrests and seatbelts for the third row, and the second row can slide forward to give additional knee room. There’s also air-conditioning for the third row, going to ceiling-mounted vents after the first facelift.

5 Compact size: The Fortuner is sized just right, length- and width-wise. Parking and driving up and down building ramps is a simple task. That being said, it is quite tall, which makes it an ill fit for some parking garages.

6 Safety: The Fortuner has standard ABS and dual airbags. The full-time four-wheel drive on the top model helps with traction in slippery conditions.

7 Fuel efficiency: The diesel version is rated to go 7 to 8.5 kilometers per liter in city driving and go double-digit on highway runs. That won’t win any Greenpeace awards, but it is respectable for a nearly two-ton, high-riding SUV.

8 Styling: The new Fortuner has gone the luxury route with regard to the looks, but the basic model has always had a clean profile and neat detailing that has aged well.

9 Handling: SUVs built on a pickup truck chassis can hardly be expected to carve up corners, but the Fortuner acquits itself rather well. It behaves nearly like a low-rising Corolla sedan, with no untoward body roll or need to wrestle the car onto a particular course.

10 Power: The ultimate luxury is power, and the top Fortuner 4×4 3.0 diesel has it in spades. The truck may seem relatively docile when pressing lightly on the throttle, but it has a deep reserve of torque and acceleration. When called upon, 163 ps and 343 Nm provide adequate passing power. The 4×2 gasoline and diesel versions also have adequate power for city driving.

Since then, Toyota’s competitors have launched updates to their offerings. Fortuner has responded with two facelifts, the second just last August. Each update has included more features to make the Fortuner more responsive to the needs of family transport.