Cartrade Comparison Test
The compare article today features two heavy weights of the industry. The Fortuner is a SUV which made Toyota develop a firm stand in the premium SUV market. Tasting success with Qualis and Innova, Toyota has already struck a strong relation with the Indian consumers. The Japanese major seems to have offered Fortuner to answer all the premium needs at a practical price.
SSangyong is Mahindra’s latest acquisition. The Korean UV maker was not doing well in its home ground and that is when the Indian UV major decided to bail them out and tuck it under Mahindra. Mahindras are on a winning spree with all the launches be it the range starter Quanto to the XUV500. The Rexton is the flagship model of their collaboration with SsangYong. At a reasonable lesser price, the Rexton promises to offer more than what its competition offer. The Rexton has also made the merry going of the Fortuner uneasy. Let’s find out if the Rexton pushes the Fortuner out of the ring.
Toyota Fortuner Vs SsangYong Rexton Exterior
Toyota Fortuner now incorporates the all new Toyota front face which is seen on the latest generation Camry and Innova too. The new face has made the Fortuner a smarter looking SUV unlike the earlier version.
Toyota Fortuner
On the front profile, the intake scoop has got a tag bigger. The new clear finished headlights are in line with the chunky chrome radiator grille. They wrap around from the grille to the side panel. Even the lower jaw has been redesigned with smart fog lamp design. The hidden and subtle profile on the front face now makes the Fortuner a well proportioned design.
At the first look Rexton gives the impression of a sturdy majestic appearance SUV. The widechrome plated front grills with Rexton Logo grabs the attention. The eagle eye shaped projector head lamps are equally attractive and demands a second look to give appreciation for the style. The headlamp is powerful and does give the best of visibility in all weather conditions.
Toyota Fortuner Vs SsangYong Rexton Interior
In the Rexton, True to the luxury segment belongingness it has best of features one looks for. First the Doors are wide and offers easiest entry .There is ample leg space and head room. Wide seats ensure comfortable seating. 8 –Way Electrically adjustable driver seat with memory function ensures the driver is seated comfortablyand adjust the posture so as to get best of visibility. The dash is wide and equipped with all modern features such as touch screen infotainment system with MP3,DVD,USB port and AUX in, and 6 speakers, Navigation system with pre loaded maps, glove box with AC inputs, etc .Black and beige combination used for interiors to make a perfect match.
Inside the Fortuner cabin, the tall and big exterior feel is retained. The driver seats are power adjustable. All seats in the Fortuner are comfortable except for the second row which could have been better with some more under thigh support. The headroom and legroom for all rows are generous, even the last row seats have decent space around them though the last row would be ideal for kids.
Toyota Fortuner Vs SsangYong Rexton Performance
The Toyota Fortuner 4x2 AT has a 2982cc 4 cylinder D-4D turbocharged diesel engine which produces a power of 171 PS at 3600 rpm and a torque of 343 Nm at a range of 1400 to 3400 rpm. The 2WD gets a 4 speed automatic transmission gearbox. The superb handling and soft suspension make it an ideal fun car to be driven on sand dunes or on otherwise difficult terrains.Even the braking which was an issue in early generations of this model has been improved. Driving the Fortuner in cities too is fun as the low end torque comes in handy and the roaring 3.0L behaves in a tamed way at lower rpms channelizing the turbo appropriately.
In the RX5 variant of Rexton, 8-way adjustability feature is provided for driver seat. Driving of big vehicles such as this and Toyota Fortunerseem to be tough in city driving. However the features like speed sensing steering with shift position indicator help a lot for smooth driving. Though we could not go beyond 80 KMPH due to city traffic conditions, with the smoothness and fast pick up speed, the claimed speed of reaching 194KMPH in RX7 and 180 KMPH in RX5 won’t be difficult.
Toyota Fortuner Vs SsangYong Rexton Conclusion
Rexton has all ingredients to make it a satisfactory choice as a luxury SUV. Still some of the points such as image of China made goods in India, non familiarity of Ssangyong in India are some points that make one think twice. Though there is boosting factor of Brand Mahindra confidence. It would have got even better sales demand if brand Mahindra was highlighted.
The Toyota Fortuner however is not an easy player to accept defeat soon as it comes from a brand which is synonymous with reliability and durability in addition to dense service network. It would be interesting to see on whether the Ssangyong Rexton and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport hold on to its recent success as the Fortuner has surfaced all sorts of tides in the Indian SUV segment and braved out from it.
