Toyota Fortuner

Since its 2005 introduction as a diesel-fed seven-seater SUV, the Toyota Fortuner has become the bestselling body-on ladder frame chassis SUV available in the market. Built on top of the common platform of diesel-fed vehicles that the Japanese automaker calls an Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicle (IMV) series, the Fortuner was meant to be part of a global supply line of diesel-fed, rear-wheel-drive, or four-wheel-drive utility haulers, with their operation bases being Thailand (which exports the Fortuner to the Philippine market as a completely built-up unit), Indonesia, Argentina and South Africa.

Launch

The second generation Toyota Fortuner was released in 2016, with noticeable improvements in the powertrain, noise/vibration/harshness (NVH), suspension damping, and exterior. Minor changes were applied to the SUV just as the pandemic hit, this included a more stylish look similar to its premium Lexus stablemates, smartphone app-friendly in-car infotainment, parking cameras for blind spots, and added electronic safety aids.

Variant and Price

The Toyota Fortuner price in the Philippines starts at ₱1,671,000 for the base variant Toyota Fortuner 2.4 G Diesel 4x2 MT.

Variants	Price
Toyota Fortuner 2.4 G Diesel 4x2 MT	₱1,671,000
Toyota Fortuner 2.4 G Diesel 4x2 AT	₱1,762,000
Toyota Fortuner 2.4 V Diesel 4x2 AT	₱1,879,000
Toyota Fortuner 2.4 V Diesel 4x2 AT (White Pearl)	₱1,894,000
Toyota Fortuner 2.8 Q Diesel 4x2 AT	₱2,043,000
Toyota Fortuner 2.8 Q Diesel 4x2 AT (White Pearl)	₱2,058,000
Toyota Fortuner 2.8 LTD Diesel 4x2 AT Two-Tone	₱2,305,000
Toyota Fortuner 2.8 LTD Diesel 4x2 AT Two-Tone (White Pearl)	₱2,315,000
Toyota Fortuner 2.8 LTD Diesel 4x4 AT Two-Tone	₱2,465,000
Toyota Fortuner 2.8 LTD Diesel 4x4 AT Two-Tone (White Pearl)	₱2,475,000
Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GR-S Diesel 4x4 AT	₱2,514,000

From the 2020 Toyota Fortuner onwards, the telltale upgrade to the Toyota Fortuner exterior was on the front fascia. One can claim the front end took a page from its sister company Lexus, as the grille looked just like the mug on the Lexus RX and GX models. The difference was that a large swath of Fortuner front bumper divided the grille into upper and lower halves, but retained the interlocking slats and trapezoidal grille shape.

Headlights

The second-gen Fortuner had slanted rectangle headlights, which veered away from the large teardrop “eyes” of its first-gen predecessor. Those headlights also have dual beam light emitting diode (LED) pieces providing a brighter and whiter field of illumination at night.

The upper tier variants get LED sequential turning lamps, yet another influence from its Lexus sport-ute siblings.

Side and rear

The Lexus RX/GX angled body approach was also evident at the flanks and the rear, with lots of sharply chiseled character lines at the sides of the Toyota Fortuner.

The upper tier Limited (LTD) and GR-S (Gazoo Racing-Sport) top-end models get their own unique body treatment. Both toted version-specific 18-inch rims, while the latter had its own body kit (front bumper, rear bumper, diffusers, chin spoilers) for distinction. The base model got more conventional 17-inch wheels.

That Lexus luxury utility vehicle influence also spilled over to the Toyota Fortuner interior.

An elegant motif was conveyed upon opening any of the doors, with dark brown leather (for the seats and center console padding), and a silver/black/wood trim greeting every occupant.

There were multiple buttons for the Android Auto/Apple CarPlay in-car infotainment and the air conditioning controls, but they didn’t feel overwhelming. Even with just a tilt feature for the steering wheel, electronic adjustments for the driver’s seat did help in easily getting a comfortable driving position. Two vivid analog gauges with white, red, and blue backlighting, a 4.2-inch color thin film transistor (TFT) screen, and larger fonts than the previous Toyota Fortuner made it easier to check what’s going on with the SUV.

Speaking of the infotainment system, the pre-minor change, second-gen Fortuner had a 6.5-inch touchscreen head unit with Bluetooth connectivity. For the 2020-onwards Fortuner, the touchscreen got larger (it’s now either seven- or eight-inch panel). Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity is available for wider satellite navigation options and music search and playback. The LTD and GR-S models got nine-speaker JBL sound systems to complement the broadened music source searching ability. There’s even wireless charging and multiple USB ports so that mobile phone charging can be a convenient affair.

The aforementioned LTD flavor gets ventilated front seats and black trim throughout the cabin. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and steering wheel buttons for cruise control and the sound system comes standard. Cooling for the center console, LED lighting for the entire cabin and an auto-dimming rear view mirror are among the other features of the Toyota Fortuner LTD. The Fortuner GR-S models get pretty much the LTD treatment for the seats and the steering wheel but have distinct Gazoo Racing badging and color treatment.

Safety Features

Disc brakes come standard on all four wheels in the Toyota Fortuner. With this setup, the reaction from the middle pedal was nigh-on immediate. Brake force was distributed well among the four rollers, preventing unnecessary nosedives.

Standard on the entire Toyota Fortuner line are:

• Front occupant seatbelt warning chimes

• Engine immobilizer

• ISOFIX latches for the second row (for ease of installing child seats)

• Stability and traction control

• Hill hold function that keeps the unit stationary on incline

For the Toyota Fortuner LTD and GR-S flavors, Toyota has installed a number of electronic cops called Safety Sense. These include:

• Pre-collision warning chimes

• Blind spot and lane departure detection

• Cruise control that adapts to immediate forward traffic

• Seven airbags (including curtain shield and front occupant knee airbags) for the upper two variants of the Toyota Fortuner

Engine

The current Toyota Fortuner powertrain now is all-turbodiesel when it comes to its engines. Either a 150 ps/400 Nm 2.4-liter straight four (rear-wheel-drive only) or a 204 ps/500 Nm 2.8-liter straight four reside in front of the cabin. Both mills are linked to either a six-speed manual transmission (base model only), or a six-speed automatic transmission (all models other than the base model).

In the interest of environmental friendliness and safe driving, Toyota’s midsize SUV had an “Eco[nomy]” mode that choked throttle response. It is suitable in stop-go traffic and expressway cruising while providing near-immediate forward motion with a strong stomp on the rightmost pedal. Conversely, there is also a “Power” drive mode feature from the tranny, which delivers pace and pull on overtaking, especially when going uphill.

Transmission

The six-speed transmission in the Toyota Fortuner proves to be a match for the engine as it rendere the final drive notches revs below 2,000 rpm and helps a lot with fuel consumption reduction. The manual mode (with the aforementioned paddle shifters on the upper level and range-topping models) aids a lot in engine braking and gives the driver a say with gear selection when the need arises.

The drive selection knob in four-wheel drive models lets one switch between the default two-wheel RWD setup or use all four wheels in either high or low speed conditions. An automatically disconnecting differential (with a locking mechanism) tandems with computer box-aided engine braking on descent to let the Toyota Fortuner lumber easily on hard rock paths and river crossings.

Suspension and steering

Lessons learned from the first-gen Toyota Fortuner regarding its love-hate shock absorption were cured with the 2020-onwards model. A relatively soft, fully independent double-wishbone front suspension had some lean, but not enough to make you feel like you were going to topple over. A fully-independent multi-link system for the rear showed a balance between comfort and curve-hugging that was significantly absent in the precursor’s suspension setup. The road damping blended well with the NVH to  now display a nearly car-like ride uncommon of diesel utility vehicles, and especially the Toyota Fortuner.

The GR-S Fortuner is lucky to get Gazoo Racing-badged monotube shock absorbers, along with slightly stiffer struts for a more positive handling and sportier feel on the road. 

The steering feel didn’t engender a notion that you were moving the wheel in syrup. Given the said feel, your wrists, hands and arms aren’t given a workout during long backing and parallel parking maneuvers. Feedback, on the other hand, exhibits enough sensation to conform to the correct amount of steering input versus lateral movement.

Clearly, the Fortuner now possesses features suitable to Philippine urban (and impromptu off-road) driving conditions. Sure, other options exist, but typical SUVs can only dream about going to places where the Fortuner can. That said, most Fortuners sold here won't ever see a mud patch. And let's face it, for some, the ladder frame construction is hardly a deterrent when compared to what the rest of the car offers. When the truth's been told, the Fortuner more than fits your needs if you're looking for an SUV that's just as capable as the Toyota Land Cruiser - minus the hefty price. In fact, the general dynamics of the supposed standard of the midsize sport-ute segment made it advantageous in tackling all (if not most) local driving situations.