Ever since the Toyota Fortuner has released in 2009, it has created a sensation in the Indian market. It has become the leader of its segment, the SUV segment. It has become the dream car for many people, and it has become the symbol of class, panache, power and bad boy ruggedness. It has become the go-to-choice for the rich and the affluent, gangsters, politicians and anything in between.
The Fortuner has been known always in India for engine performance, luxury, Toyota reliability and bad-boy image and the amount of attention it attracts when it goes down the street. It is also known for its off-road capability though it is not always used for off-roading.
Though, I am not really satisfied by the latest generation Toyota Fortuner. First, the looks. I know that looks are subjective but still the current gen Fortuner looks so civilized and so commuter-ish. People and potential customers who loved the bad-boy gangster looks of the original Fortuner might not like the new looks. Plus, I have talked to owners of the old Fortuner and most of them agree.
Second, the pricing. The older Fortuners had a price of around Rs. 27.32 lakh. The current Fortuner costs around a wallet-shattering Rs. 48 Lakh!! You can buy an entry level Mercedes A-Class for cheaper! See, India is a status-driven society, and as much as I hate to say it, most of the customers of the Fortuner are rich people who want attention and luxury. So, most of the customers of a Fortuner would rather buy a Mercedes because that will certainly get more attention than any Toyota (except for if it’s a Supra). Now, let us talk about the Fortuner’s actual competition. The MG Gloster, which is supposed to be more expensive is Rs. 10 lakh cheaper! It still lacks that important luxury feel in the interior that it’s other competitors have and still feels rough on the inside. To add salt to the wounds, you can buy the Fortuner’s closest rival, the Ford Endavour, which is also very capable, for much cheaper in the second-hand market, for as low as 5 lakh rupees if you are feeling lucky. You can get the old 3.2 as well, and that is really amazing. Also, that way you can also buy the old Fortuner, which would be a much sweeter deal, and since Ford has left India, any generation of Fortuner would be easier to maintain than a Ford, given Toyota’s bulletproof Japanese reliability and the fact that it's still here, unlike what we can say about the American manufacturer.
The new Fortuner is not a bad product. It is a good one. It makes more power, has more features, and has much more off-road capability than the previous generations. However, in my opinion, these are the areas where the Toyota Fortuner can really improve, and I request Toyota to work on them, if it wants the Fortuner to still be the king of the segment and hold it's crown, that is.
