Toyota Fortuner Anniversary Edition @ Rs. 20,45,000

It has been one year since the first Toyota Fortuner hit Indian roads. Ever since then, the car has went on to become a bestseller of sorts. So much so that the company had to suspend bookings till January 2011. But to mark the anniversary and celebrate the 10,000 happy customers of Toyota Fortuner family, Toyota Kirloskar Motor would be introducing the ‘Fortuner Anniversary Edition’. Since the Toyota Fortuner’s launch on August 24, 2009, the car has went on to gain about 60 per cent market share in its segment. The company will roll out only 250 units of this special edition of the Toyota Fotuner under this offer.

The Anniversary Edition of Toyota Fortuner would have enhanced sporty exterior available only in Pearl White colour. The exterior new look would include changes like a new front bumper spoiler, rear roof spoiler and rear bumper spoiler all in body colour, and a chrome plated muffler cutter. With all this, the Toyota Fortuner Anniversary Edition would be priced at Rs. 20,45,000 ex-showroom Delhi. According to Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director-Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, “We are delighted to introduce the Anniversary Edition of the Fortuner which will be made available exclusively to our customers who have already made bookings with us. It is our endeavour to clear the present backlog, as well as meet growing customer requirement.”

The mighty beast comes equipped with a 2982 cc Common Rail Diesel Engine that churns out 163 PS(160 BHP) of power and 35 kgm of torque, aided by a Variable Geometry Turbocharger(VGT). The choice of transmission is limited to a four speed auto and a five speed manual transmission. The suspension is stiff but it soaks up the jerks and bumps very easily without rattling your bones. The ride and handling is at par with competition. The Fortuner is a true blue SUV unlike most of its counterparts which are soft roaders and offer a car like feel. The huge tyres (Bridgestone Dueler HT 265/65 – R17) offer a decent grip on the road and should offer good off road capability to the giant. Safety features haven’t been compromised with ESP, EBD and traction control on offer.

The Fortuner looks impressive though it is mostly like the old SUVs. It dwarfs most of the soft roader SUVs in India and would be a direct competition to the Ford Endeavour in road presence and performance. The design is boxy but is more rounded in comparison to the Endeavour. The interior sports a two tone dashboard as seen in the Innova with vast slab of grey. The Fortuner also has a large touch screen at the centre console with the aircon controls right under it. There is a climatronic AC system which cools all the three rows of seats. Space and seating comfort is at par with Endeavour and Captiva. There is also plenty of head and leg room. The plastic quality is not the best but it doesn’t disappoint either, leaving no rooms for any complaints.