MANILA, Philippines — To most consumers, choosing a seven-seater SUV for their family hardly seems like it affects anyone other than themselves. Yet to those behind the manufacture of these vehicles, each unit sold is another notch toward domination. For some years now, this fairly new segment has been the battleground for car manufacturers new and old. In the past few years, the battle has been heating up. Back in 2005, with the arrival of the Fortuner, Toyota had taken an early lead. Yet players like Isuzu’s Alterra and Ford’s Everest certainly haven’t made it easy.
When the Mitsubishi Montero Sport arrived, that lead had slowly been eaten up. After all, the Montero Sport’s leg up on the Fortuner was its more comfortable ride and affordable price. It’s the one vehicle to be credited for Mitsubishi’s return to the number two spot in the country. Rumors flying about Mitsubishi producing an even more affordable Montero Sport variant make it seem like the diamond brand could be at it for a while.
Yet Toyota’s not one to take this kind of challenge sitting down. Their Fortuner is back with a vengeance and a recent test drive reminds us why it’s still a top contender.
For some time, the Fortuner had been the gold standard in the seven-seater SUV category. It had a reasonable size, fit seven people easily and blended modern and rugged design cues seamlessly. It only had one kink in its armor — the ride. A mid-life refresh in 2009 gave it a more butch look but had hardly addressed the complaint. Finally, the prayers have been heard and for its 2012 model, the Fortuner seems poised to take back the crown.
Before we get into the ride, another crowd drawer is the Fortuner’s new look. For this model year, it’s clear its more upscale siblings at Lexus have had some influence. Upward tapering headlamps with clear projector and halogen beams have now been installed. A crown-shaped grille adds some dimension to the façade. Lower in the front, a strip that houses the lower intake and fog lights have been blacked out for a more street tuner look.
Over in the rear, clear jewel effect tail lamps draw the eyes. A chrome plate garnish with Fortuner embossed stretches in between them. The rear bumper juts out more subtly while a race car-derived diffuser sits in between the reflectors.
Inside, much of the dashboard remains the same, however connections for iPods and other portable music players have now been integrated better.
Of course, the real change many have been anticipating with the Fortuner is the ride. Toyota took great pains to improving this adjusting everything from the suspension (dampers and springs) to the seats to return a softer ride more without being too lumbering.
Paired with this particular variant’s 2.7 liter gas engine and 4-speed automatic, it makes for a truly smooth drive around town.
For some time, I’ve had a hard time understanding why some buyers have opted for the gas variant over the diesel yet this Fortuner demonstrates why. Contrary to popular belief, fuel mileage isn’t that bad as the 2.7 gasoline engine managed to return a respectable 7-8 km/L in the city and an even higher 10-11 km/L in the highway.
In city traffic, engine pickup was quick and smooth, quickly closing gaps in traffic without that unnerving jerk that torquey diesels provide. Gear changes felt nearly seamless.
In the highway, the vehicle felt in its element, easily accelerating to overtake, quickly and smoothly, without that wait and surprising burst of acceleration that turbos usually return.
On the city’s rough streets, the ride was a lot softer. The good news is that this improvement hadn’t come at the cost of handling either as the Fortuner could still take on tight city corners, short dashes to catch stoplights and even the sweeping turns of C5 with little worry of body roll.
Off the pavement and on rocky parking lots, the ride was certainly much smoother. The only noise seemed to come from the folded 3rd row seats that I hadn’t secured that well. All told, my few days with the Fortuner served as an excellent reminder of how this single variant ignited the segment way back in 2005 and produced waiting lists only Ferrari buyers would typically tolerate.
The gas Fortuner is one smooth operator and, now with its more pliant ride, is easily the smoothest driving and riding SUV in its category.
As for the fierce battle for the seven-seater SUV top spot, it still rages on. Yet with contenders like these constantly striving to improve their products, it’s the consumer that emerges a winner in the end, no matter which side they choose.
Engine: 2.7 liter 4-cylinder DOHC 16 valve VVT-i
Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive
Max power: 160 ps / 241 Nm
Transmission: 4-speed A/T
Seating: 7 passengers
Brakes: Front discs and rear drum
Suspension: Double wishbones front with coil springs and stabilizers and 4-link coil spring rear
Wheels & tire: 17-inch alloy on 265 65 series tires
Price: P1,343,000
source: mb.com.ph
