Toyota Fortuner: Buy Scorpio N Instead
I did an extended test drive of the Fortuner, both in the city and on the highway, and evaluated it against my requirements. Based on this, I wouldn’t buy the Fortuner.
First, the Fortuner is an SUV. This means a body-on-frame construction1 and not front-wheel-drive. A lot of the cars sold as SUVs — Creta, Seltos, Taigun / Kushaq, Hector, Hyryder / Grand Vitara, Mahindra 3XO, XUV 400, Jeep Compass, Honda Elevate and Citroën Basalt — are actually crossovers, since that they meet neither of the above two criteria. There are few true SUVs in the Indian market, like the Fortuner, Mahindra Scorpio-N, and Thar Roxx.
The Fortuner costs 63 lakh on-road2 and offers nothing over the 29-lakh rupee Scorpio N to justify the more than double cost:
Both are three-row SUVs.
Both come in petrol (rear-wheel-drive only) and diesel (rear- or 4-wheel drive) variants.
Both come with a 6-speed torque converter.
Both have an electrically adjustable driver’s seat3.
In both SUVs, my stomach is pressed, making it uncomfortable.
Headroom and legroom are insufficient
In both cars, your driving position above the road is high.
The Fortuner tows 3.1 tons, similar to the Scorpio N’s 2.5 tons.
Both have offroading features like 4WD, 4 Low gear and a diff lock.
When it comes to safety, both SUVs have:
Seat belt pretensioner with force limiter
ESC
EBD
Auto headlights
Multiple airbags4
When it comes to cooling5, both SUVs have:
Ventilated seats
Climate control
Dual-zone AC
In the front passenger seat6 of both SUVs:
Headroom and legroom are insufficient.
In the middle row seat7 of both SUVs:
The Fortuner’s interior looks dated.
So, instead of the Fortuner, I recommend buying a Scorpio N. Or the Thar Roxx, if that’s what you like. You’ll get a Fortuner-like SUV for less than half the price.
In fact, for the price of the Fortuner, you could buy a Scorpio N:
And a M.G.Windsor EV for city use:
And a Dzire sedan:
And still have money left over for an Ather Apex:
Also referred to as a ladder frame construction.
All prices are for the top model.
The Fortuner’s is 8-way adjustable. On the Scorpio N, thigh support isn’t adjustable, but lumbar support is.
The Scorpio N’s protect your body from side impacts, while the Fortuner’s don’t.
The Fortuner also has active rollover protection and DRLs, but no TPMS and no ADAS.
The Fortuner also has a cooled glovebox, but no sunroof or rear window sunshades, and you can’t turn on the AC using the app.
The Fortuner’s seat is 8-way electrically adjustable
The Fortuner comes with captain’s chairs, which are 8-way electrically adjustable, while the Scorpio N lets you choose between captain’s chairs and a bench seat.
The Fortuner also has AC vents.
The Fortuner’s are retracting.
2 in the Fortuner