The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee impresses with style and performance, but lags behind in safety and fuel economy.
Pros Loads of style after all these years Plenty of powertrain options Capable off-road Trailhawk Five adults fit comfortably Hilarious 707-hp Trackhawk
Cons A $100,000 Jeep? Lackluster efficiency Subpar safety scores Aging interior
If it was good enough for 2019, it's good enough now: the 2020 Grand Cherokee SRT is unchanged.In a world where nothing succeeds like excess (and with apologies to Mr. Wilde), the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is just enough. Under its hood is a 475-hp V-8 that partners with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. With launch control, the SRT can rip from zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Aggressive bodywork, a sport-tuned suspension, and robust brakes help the SRT handle and brake well enough to make some sports cars jealous.
Pros Incredible acceleration, bold exterior design, more utility than SRT versions of the Dodge Charger or Challenger.
Cons Penchant for fuel, expensive, big-bro Trackhawk exists.
The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT comes with four wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 8-speed shiftable automatic,Optional diesel engine is no longer available
Pros Plush interior with plentiful luxury and technology Enough off-road ability to conquer practically any trail Available V8 engines offer substantial power Impressive tow ratings for the class
Cons Firm ride quality may disappoint, even with air suspension Underwhelming acceleration with base V6 Modest quality of cabin materials can be hard to justify
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
