Toyota Fortuner has been ‘the SUV’ in India since it first stepped on Indian soil seven years back. It had the larger than life aura by virtue of its size and proportions. We now have the all-new Fortuner, built on a new platform, a new engine, modern looks and a brand new cabin. And it retains the brawn of the older car.
But, while Toyota kept dragging the earlier Fortuner, the all-new Endeavour launched earlier this year changed the rules of engagement. So, here is the competition check for the new top-spec Fortuner with its arch-rival the Ford Endeavour and of course the evergreen Mitsubishi Pajero Sport in the battle of the SUVs.
Ford Endeavour
The Endeavour is bigger than the Fortuner in terms of size measuring 4892x1860x1837mm (LxWxH) as compared to 4795x1855x1835 of the latter. The Endeavour’s interior is premium and a notch above the Fortuner considering the use of materials, touch and feel and finish. The Fortuner’s touchscreen system does not feel premium and also loses out on features like Apple Car Play. The all-black interior though would be easier to live with than the beige interior of the Endeavour.
Even in terms of equipment, the Endeavour might have a slender lead with a 197bhp, 3.2-litre engine as compared to the 174bhp 2.8-litre engine of the new Fortuner. But in real world, the responsive Toyota engine works well. The automatic gearboxes on both the Fortuner and the Endeavour are typically sluggish torque converters that come with large SUVs but do their jobs. The iMT feature on the Toyota though, puts the Fortuner slightly ahead of the Endeavour when it comes to manual transmissions.
Both cars are available with 2WD and 4WD options and manual as well as automatic options. As an off-roader, the Endeavour works well. And the Fortuner too should be able off-road, especially with low range and a smart A-Trac traction control system. In terms of pricing, the Fortuner is priced at a premium of almost 1.5 lakh over the fully loaded Endeavour.
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is a generation older when compared to the other two. The new Fortuner is a league ahead in terms of almost everything including the engine, gearbox, interior, equipment, and cabin space et al. Also, the Mitsubishi is not known for its service reach and after-sales, which is where Toyota is the market leader. But, the Pajero Sport will turn out to be better off-the road than the Fortuner owing to better mechanicals. But unless you are focusing on off-road capabilities, the Fortuner wins this battle hands down.
