Just as the popular, albeit long-in-the-tooth Fortuner was beginning to lose ground, Toyota replaced its stalwart SUV with an all-new model. It’s bigger, more luxurious, tougher, and priced between Rs 25.92 - 31.12 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), is costlier than its predecessor. But how does it stack up against its rivals on the spec sheet? Here’s what the numbers say.
On the outside
As mentioned earlier, the new Fortuner is bigger than the SUV it replaces. It’s longer and wider, which should translate into more interior space. However, it is built on the same wheelbase (the shortest among the four SUVs here) as the old car. Also, with a height of 1,835mm, it is not only shorter than the old Fortuner, but ranks last in this comparison as well.
If outright size is what you’re looking for, the new Fortuner is still no match for the Ford Endeavour and the Chevrolet Trailblazer, with both SUVs being longer (in length and in wheelbase), taller and also wider. Where the Endy is the longest (both in length and wheelbase), it’s the Chevy that’s the tallest and widest.
| Dimensions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Fortuner | Ford Endeavour | Chevrolet Trailblazer | Mitsubishi Pajero Sport | |
| Length | 4795mm | 4892mm | 4878mm | 4695mm |
| Width | 1855mm | 1860mm | 1902mm | 1815mm |
| Height | 1835mm | 1837mm | 1851mm | 1840mm |
| Wheelbase | 2745mm | 2850mm | 2845mm | 2800mm |
| Ground Clearance | 225mm | 225mm | 253mm | 215mm |
The new Fortuner’s ground clearance of 225mm is identical to that of the Endeavour’s. This leaves the Trailblazer the clearest off the ground at a massive 253mm, while the Pajero Sport has the lowest ground clearance among the four at 215mm.
Under the hood
Unique to the Fortuner here is the option of a petrol engine – a 2.7-litre, four-cylinder motor that it shares with the Innova Crysta. It produces 166hp and 245Nm of torque and can be had with either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic, but doesn’t get an all-wheel-drive version. A smaller 2.4-litre diesel engine is also likely to be offered in the Fortuner at a later stage.
The diesel engine that the Fortuner has been launched with is a 2.8-litre unit. Like the petrol engine, this motor too is shared with the Innova Crysta. It pumps out 177hp and 420Nm of torque (450Nm in the automatic) and gets the option of six-speed automatic and manual gearboxes and all-wheel drive as well.
Its power output of 177hp is a close match for the 178hp that the Pajero Sport’s 2.5-litre diesel produces. However, the Pajero Sport’s 350/400Nm (for AWD) of torque is lower than that of the Fortuner. The Mitsubishi gets a six-speed automatic gearbox on the 2WD versions while the AWD versions can he had only with a five-speed manual.
The Ford Endeavour offers two diesel engines – a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder motor and a 3.2-litre, five-cylinder unit. Of these, only the 3.2-litre is being considered for comparison with the range-topping engine of the Fortuner. This Endy’s motor can be paired only with a six-speed automatic gearbox, and rated at 200hp and 470Nm, is clearly more powerful than the Fortuner’s and the Pajero Sport’s.
| Engine and Gearbox | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Fortuner diesel | Toyota Fortuner petrol | Ford Endeavour | Chevrolet Trailblazer | Mitsubishi Pajero Sport | |
| Displacement | 2755cc | 2694cc | 3198cc | 2776cc | 2477cc |
| No. of cylinders | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Power | 177hp at 3400rpm | 166hp at 5200rpm | 200hp at 3000rpm | 200hp at 3600rpm | 178hp at 4000rpm |
| Torque | 420Nm/450Nm (AT) at 1600-2400rpm | 245Nm at 4000rpm | 470Nm at 1750-2500rpm | 500Nm at 2000rpm | 350Nm at 1800-3500rpm(2WD)/400Nm at 2000-2500rpm(AWD) |
| Gearbox | 6-speed MT/AT | 5-speed MT/ 6-speed AT | 6-speed AT | 6-speed AT | 5-speed MT(4WD)/ AT(2WD) |
The most powerful engine in this comparison, however, is 2.8-litre, four-cylinder unit of the Chevrolet Trailblazer, which produces 200hp and a healthy 500Nm of torque. The Trailblazer gets a six-speed automatic and is the only SUV here to miss out on an all-wheel-drive system.
Speaking of all-wheel-drive systems, the Ford Endeavour and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport feature permanent AWD. The system offered in the Fortuner, however, allows you to switch between rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive to improve efficiency during everyday driving.
Money wise
Priced from Rs 27.52 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the base variant of the Toyota Fortuner diesel is more expensive than the Chevrolet Trailblazer, and the 3.2-litre diesel-powered Ford Endeavour by about Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh respectively. It’s only the ageing Pajero Sport that matches the new Fortuner’s pricing.
The only SUV that can be considered a close rival to the petrol-powered Fortuner is the smaller and more affordable Honda CR-V.
So yes, the Fortuner is costlier than the original that proved to be a runaway success with Indian buyers. What remains to be seen, however, is whether the strong fan following of the brand will give the new model an edge over its rivals. To know what the new Toyota Fortuner is all about, check out our review of it here.
Here’s a look at the ex-showroom, Delhi price range of the SUVs in this comparison.
| New Toyota Fortuner diesel vs rivals prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Fortuner | Ford Endeavour | Chevrolet Trailblazer | Mitsubishi Pajero Sport |
| 2.8 4X2 MT - Rs 27.52 lakh | 2.2 4X2 AT Trend - Rs 23.78 lakh | 4X2 AT LTZ - Rs 23.95 lakh | 2.5 4X2 AT - Rs 27.12 lakh |
| 2.8 4X2 AT - Rs 29.14 lakh | 2.2 4X4 MT Trend - Rs 23.78 lakh | --- | 2.5 4X4 MT - Rs 27.52 lakh |
| 2.8 4X4 MT - Rs 30.05 lakh | 2.2 4X2 AT Titanium - Rs 27.51 lakh | --- | --- |
| 2.8 4X4 AT - Rs 31.12 lakh | 3.2 4X4 AT Trend - Rs 25.93 lakh | --- | --- |
| --- | 3.2 4X4 AT Titanium - Rs 29.77 lakh | --- | --- |