Toyota makes Fortuner off-roader safer

TOYOTA Australia has continued to fit advanced driver-assist systems to its model line-up, this time adding autonomous emergency braking (AEB) to all three variants of its off-road-focused Fortuner large SUV.

This means that 89.5 per cent of the vehicles that the market-leading Japanese brand sold between January and August this year are now available with its Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) suite, including 97 per cent of its passenger cars and more than 85 per cent of its SUVs and LCVs.

According to Toyota Australia vice-president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley, the company is planning to increase this coverage to more than 90 per cent as soon as possible by introducing even more new and updated models with TSS.

“This year, we expect to deliver well in excess of 200,000 new Toyota vehicles in Australia – and a substantial majority will be equipped with potentially life-saving features that can help prevent and mitigate collisions,” he said.

“Fortuner is just the latest vehicle in our range to offer crash avoidance and lane-keeping technologies – features that are already standard in top-selling models as diverse as HiLux, Corolla hatch, Camry, Kluger and HiAce. It has achieved a five-star safety rating.”

For the Fortuner, TSS also includes a forward-facing camera and radar that can detect pedestrians during the day and at night as well as cyclists when the sun is up.

The package includes lane-departure warning that provides the driver with audible and visual alerts when necessary. The system can also vibrate the steering wheel and assist in correcting the vehicle’s line via its braking system.

The Fortuner also picks up adaptive cruise control (ACC) that is operational from 40km/h, helping the driver to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front.

Road-sign recognition is linked to this system, recognising changes in the speed limit and therefore enabling the driver to alter ACC’s set speed to suit via the push of a button on the steering wheel.

The upgrades come at a cost, with the entry-level GX up $1375, to $45,965 plus on-road costs, while the mid-range GXL and flagship Crusade have both copped a $1300 price rise, to $50,790 and $58,290 respectively.

The GX’s slightly higher bump is due its addition of a colour 4.2-inch multifunction display, which is already fitted to the GXL and Crusade.

Toyota Australia is at pains to point out that while Fortuner pricing is up between 2.3 and 3.0 per cent, it is still between $3700 and $4200 lower than it was upon the model’s launch in October 2015 thanks to a significant realignment exactly two years later.

The seven-seat Fortuner shares its 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with the mechanically related HiLux ute, producing 130kW of power and 450Nm of torque.

Exclusively mated to a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission and a four-wheel-drive system, the Fortuner’s claimed fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test is 8.6 litres per 100 kilometres.

Standard equipment in the GX includes Eco and Power drive modes, 17-inch alloy wheels, projector headlights, LED tail-lights, an air-conditioned cool box, Bluetooth connectivity, a six-speaker sound system, three 12V power outlets, durable fabric seat covers and rear parking sensors.

Stepping up the GXL picks up halogen foglights, roof rails, rear privacy glass, keyless entry/start, satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio and hill-descent control.

The Crusade further adds 18-inch alloy wheels with a full-size spare, bi-LED headlights, LED foglights, power-operated tailgate, 11-speaker JBL sound system, climate-control air-conditioning, 220V power outlet, eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating, and fawn or dark brown leather-accented upholstery.

Premium paintwork options attract a $550 premium on any variant.

Fortuner sales have backtracked this year, with 2363 examples sold to the end of September – an 11.1 per cent decrease over the 2657 deliveries made during the same period in 2018.

This sees it trailing most of the other ute-based large SUVs including the best-selling Isuzu MU-X (6222 units), Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (5089) and Ford Everest (3967), but keeps it ahead of the Holden Trailblazer (2089).

2019 Toyota Fortuner pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs