Toyota’s body-on-frame SUV, the Fortuner, has been a hugely popular car in the Indian market, thanks to its butch stance, rugged appeal and luxurious cabin. It has been selling in good numbers for the brand. It currently faces competition from Ford’s Endeavour. The Fortuner has also been renowned for its reliability. For 2020, Toyota have launched a special edition Fortuner that comes with a BS6-compliant engine, more equipment and some exterior updates. The SUV is priced at ₹ 34.98 lakh for the 4×2 diesel auto version and ₹ 36.88 lakh for the 4×4 diesel auto variant.

What’s new?

On the design front, the Fortuner TRD edition gets a sporty front bumper with the fog housings highlighted in black. It also gets a blacked-out portion below the three-slat grille and a faux skid plate. The black alloy wheels are new as well. The roof too, is finished in black. Inside the cabin, it gets a whole lot of features like auto-folding ORVMs, head-up display, puddle lamps, door-mounted wireless smartphone charger for occupants at the rear, 360-degree camera, air purifier and a dashboard camera. And the auto-folding ORVMs and 360-degree camera are being sold as official accessories for the standard Fortuner. The cabin gets a black-and-maroon colour theme and there are lots of TRD logos on the inside and outside.

Power choice

The Toyota Fortuner is sold only with an updated 2.8-litre, diesel engine that produces 174bhp and 450Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. You can also choose between a four-wheel-drive or two-wheel-drive variant. This motor has lots of low-end torque and there is barely any turbo lag, while mid-range punch is available till 3500rpm. It also comes with three driving modes: Eco, Power and Normal. In Power mode, throttle response is great as it leaps forward, and there’s a nice surge of torque even in Normal mode. The engine is very smooth and refined and the SUV cruises effortlessly. The 6-speed auto ‘box shifts smoothly too.

Step in

The dashboard is solidly put together and there’s lots of headroom and shoulder room at the front. The leather seats are comfortable and large and provide good support. The second row too is comfortable and can seat up to three occupants without any fuss. The occupant in the middle also gets three-point seatbelts. There is also a rear AC system with blowers in the roof. The centre console is attractive and the instrument panel is well detailed. We also like the leather-lined and chrome-finished bits and the steering feels solid to hold.  Also, grab the latest info on the new cars, only at autoX.