Trust and Loyalty personified.
Introduction: The only way to continue a model and continue to grow a brand, is through customer trust and loyalty. The Fortuner brings this loyalty up an unprecedented notch, rivalling its brother, the other phenomenally strong contender for untold loyalty, the Hilux. This Fortuner is the 12th derivative, since sales went ahead in South Africa in 2006, and it was not long that the Fortuner became SA’s number one SUV, selling on average around one thousand units a month for 19 years in a row. I do not know a person in South Africa, who does not either own a Fortuner or without a doubt, knows at least one person who owns one. Wherever you go, a Fortuner will grace you with its unforgettable look and presence, whether it be on a farm, a holiday destination, a school run, in the city or on a rugged 4x4 trail somewhere in the thousands of great outdoor options that we in South Africa are fortunate enough to have!
Engine/ Economy/ Drive/ Comfort: The GR Sport comes with a tweaked, tried and tested, torque legend, the familiar 2.8 Liter, 4-cylinder, 1GD-FTV turbocharged diesel engine that now, with some mapping, produces a maximum power of 165 kW and 550 Nm of torque. The 6-speed automatic transmission was seamless with little turbo lag, especially when in sport mode. I found the response and acceleration to be impressive particularly when over taking on the gauntlet stretch of treacherous road between Mtubatuba and Hluhluwe, a route I took to the beautiful Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park (HIP) for this review. Toyota claim a combined fuel economy around the 9 Liter per 100 kms mark, but I got a very respectable 10, combining freeway, town and game reserve driving, which I thought was very good considering my stopping and starting every few minutes for seeing, hearing and identifying birds in the bush! The new mono tube shock absorbers definitely made for a much more comfortable ride than on previous models and the ladder frame chassis continues to provide strength and durability for all road conditions, whether on a gruelling 4x4 track or on a smooth tar road, whatever the surface, the Fortuner excels. My brother and another mate in the bush, have previous Fortuner models and both were super impressed with the comfort of the ride and the engine being notably less noisy than theirs.
Features: Standard Features include; JBL speakers that work just as well as your portable extreme 3, Toyota connect, Apple car play, Android Auto, GR branding, spacious 2nd row seats and a 3rd row for two passengers, including convenient USB ports and a 220V outlet for charging devices on the go, Brake assist, Stability control, EBD, Curtain airbags, ABS, Traction control, Passenger airbag, Driver airbag, Airbag quantity 7, Front side airbags, Driver knee airbag, Bluetooth, multi-function steering wheel, auto lights, climate control air conditioning, xenon lights, keyless entry, start/ stop switch, adaptive speedo cruise, on board trip computer, daytime driving running lights, high level rear brake light, Steering column adjustment (rake / tilt / height / up / down), electric folding mirrors, PDC front and rear, a Rear parking camera and more.
Interior/ Exterior/ Boot: The interior has a lovely mix of leather type upholstery and durable and great looking plastic components. The well-appointed dashboard offers a cabin like feel with ample legroom for the driver and passengers. The sporty seats looked the part but would maybe not be suitable for people with wide backs, like me. The vehicles interior and exterior features include sporty and aggressive styling with GR badging, which are clear identifiers that make the GRS stand out from other models. The exteriors fierce front bumper with a black grille and skid plate, further enhance the looks and a rear diffuser does a top job at adding to the appeal. It also features black accents throughout, such as black 18-inch alloy wheels with all-terrain tires and black wing mirrors. Additional exterior highlights are gloss black surrounds for the LED fog lamps and headlamps, a 360° camera, and keyless entry. The boot space of 716 Liters with the third-row rear seats folded up, provides more than enough space to take this vehicle on a long and memorable road trip. With a whopping 279 millimetres of ground clearance, better than most 4x4’s out there, you can be assured that the odds of you ever hitting that sump are very slim, even if you are a novice off roader.
Price/ Warranty/ Service Plan/ Service intervals: R999 000, Warranty, 3 year/ 100000 kms, Service plan: nine services at 10000 km intervals or pear year/ 90 000 kms
In Summary: Would I buy a vehicle that just keeps on delivering on its promise, of great resale, proven reliability, excellent durability, top 4x4 ability and superb after sales service with an unrivalled dealership network and parts availability throughout Africa? If that is the criteria, then yes, oh yes, in fact a resounding yes!
*This article is written in my opinion only. For detailed information on the specs, please contact Toyota SA*