Toyota Fortuner 3.0 D4-D (Old)

The ride quality is a little compromised by the Fortuner’s non-independent rear suspension and ladder-frame chassis which, like all separate chassis designs, adds a lot to the unsprung mass of the car. With all that unsuspended weight, it feels a tad lumpy over any kind of uneven tarmac and only smoothens out on unblemished surfaces. At high speeds, the big wheels and the suspension simply absorb anything you can throw at it with little fuss and the Fortuner rarely gets deflected off-line.    

Except for the steering, which has good weight and is rather direct, the handling is quite old school off-roader: it lolls around in corners, rolls quite a bit and though there is plenty of grip from the four-wheel-drive system. We found that the car stops in a respectable 28 metres, but there’s serious brake fade after just a few hard stops.

It makes up by being excellent off-road. Toyota has equipped it with the right tyres, and in low-range mode, it’ll pull through soft stuff with the same ease that a Maruti Wagon R negotiates a parking lot. It doesn’t come with any form of ESP, traction control or hill descent control though.   

Reversing is not much of a hassle with the big rear windscreen and slim D-pillars that give you a good view out back.