The Fortuner may only be the latest of many additions to the confusion of choice that is a booming SUV market segment, but Toyota has a steely-eyed confidence about it. “Fortuner definitely lives up to the promise of its road-less-travelled 4WD heritage “Fortuner is positioned perfectly between Kluger and Prado; diesel alternatives to Kluger are selling around 1400 vehicles a month, or almost 17,000 a year. Fortuner will give us a significant slice of that action.
“It’s a great choice for people who aspire to a luxury SUV … they want a stylish vehicle, they want seven seats and the safety of a high-seating position and great visibility; they also want genuine 4X4 ability.
The Fortuner, shorter and narrower than Kluger and Prado, is chunky and solid; it looks like a mad scientist fused a Land Cruiser, Prado and Kluger together, threw in a bit of RAV4 for a laugh and then pumped the resulting mix full of steroids. It looks good; not too city-smooth, as do plenty of modern-day 4WDs, but country tough with class.
Driving position is nice, high and secure; the seats are comfortable and offer plenty of support. Steering is rake- and reach-adjustable. The paddle shifts will seem like a nice touch for some, but we reckon they’re wasted here. Visibility from the driver’s seat is more than generous with open spaces all-round.
The Toyota Fortuner boasts impressive off-road credentials, along with the benefit of thousands of kilometers of local engineering and testing, with Toyota’s local engineering team involved in a great deal of design and testing for the Fortuner
While it may look big from the outside, the Fortuner is actually shorter and narrower than both the Prado and Kluger. Despite the exterior size deficit, the cargo capacity wins out on volume and versatility. With the third row in place, there is 200 liters of cargo volume on offer (to the roof). The rear door is manually operated on GX and GXL variants, while the top-spec Crusade gets a motorised rear door.
High quality materials and premium fit and finish sets the Fortuner apart from the HILux (except the bit of trim that popped out unexpectedly on the passenger side door). Leather-look highlights on the top-spec Crusade model make it feel more like a Prado than an SUV derived from a commercial vehicle.
Under the Fortuner’s shell is a dual-range transmission with switchable four-wheel drive. The driver can switch between a two- and four-wheel drive high-range mode and a four-wheel drive low-range mode
Normally, when a car maker launches an all-new product, it opens not just a chapter in that vehicle’s history, but an entirely new volume. That said, Toyota didn’t get the memo with the all-new Fortuner. Granted it looks sleeker and much more sophisticated than ever before, it adheres too closely to the concept of kaizen or continuous improvement. It ends up telling pretty much the same story, remixed and retold
Toyota has done with the Fortuner’s design. While the first-generation model looked sturdy, the new one is sleek. It’s all fluid and swoopy with a strong crossover-vibe.
Moving to the second and third row though, the experience feels largely unchanged. Yes, it’s still quite roomy, but there’s surprisingly not a lot of head room available (especially the middle occupant in the second row and the entire third row). Apart from that, it doesn’t learn any new tricks. The second row still folds, slides, and tumbles in a 60/40 split, but a one-touch tumble mechanism allows easier access to the third row. The third row meanwhile still flips to the side, but a spring loaded mechanism and rear-mounted latch point, attached to the rearmost seat belts, make it easier to store
The 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander is a solid option outside of the usual crossover SUV choices but is often forgotten for a reason.
Pros Good base features Large touchscreen standard Available all-wheel drive across the range Updated styling for 2019
Cons Cheap interior feel Overworked inline-4 Thirsty, underpowered V-6 Tight third row Expensive active safety tech
Refreshed styling including new headlights.Steering and suspension tweaks for better ride comfort and handling.New rear-seat climate control vents.The 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander is one of the least expensive SUVs you can buy with a third-row seat.
Pros Generous list of standard features Standard three-row seating
Cons Slow, noisy acceleration with the base four-cylinder Thirsty V6 is available only on the top-of-the-line GT Third-row seat is pretty small Limited Mitsubishi dealer network
For 2019, the Outlander receives a host of changes that include revised front-end styling and standard 18-inch wheels. Every model also has more supportive and comfortable front seats, upgraded interior trim, newly illuminated window controls, rear-seat climate-control vents, and an electric parking brake. Likewise, all gasoline-powered models have revised suspension and steering that Mitsubishi says has enhanced the handling and ride quality.
Pros Affordable three-row transportation, advanced plug-in hybrid powertrain, quiet and relaxed ride.
Cons Dull to drive, abysmal infotainment system, contentious front-end styling.
